Washington Nationals

This article is about the current Major League Baseball team. For other uses, see Washington Nationals (disambiguation).

Washington Nationals
2025 Washington Nationals season
Established in 1969
Based in Washington, D.C., since 2005
175x100px Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
National League (1969–present) East Division (1969–present)
Current uniform
275px
Retired numbers	42 (as Montreal Expos: 8, 10, 10, 30)
Colors
Scarlet red, navy blue, white
Name
Washington Nationals (2005–present) Montreal Expos (1969–2004)
Other nicknames
Nats
Ballpark
Nationals Park (2008–present) Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (2005–2007) a.k.a. RFK Stadium Olympic Stadium (1977–2004) Hiram Bithorn Stadium (2003–2004) Jarry Park Stadium (1969–1976)
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)	None
NL Pennants (1)	2019
East Division titles (5)	1981 2012 2014 2016 2017
Wild card berths (1)	2019
Front office
Owner(s)	Mark Lerner
Manager	Dave Martinez
General Manager	Mike Rizzo
President of Baseball Operations	Mike Rizzo

The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the NL East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadium; since 2008, their home stadium has been Nationals Park, located on South Capitol Street in the Southeast quadrant of D.C., near the Anacostia River.

The Nationals are the eighth major league franchise to be based in Washington, D.C., and the first since 1971. The current NL club was founded in 1969 as the Montreal Expos, part of the MLB expansion. The Expos were purchased by MLB in 2002, and the team was moved to Washington, D.C., and named the Nationals before the 2005 season, marking the first franchise relocation in MLB since the third Washington Senators moved to Texas in 1971.

While the team initially struggled after moving to Washington, the Nationals have experienced considerable success in recent years, winning division titles in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017, and winning the National League pennant in 2019, the first in franchise history. The team's two overall first picks in the MLB draft, Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper in 2010, attracted new levels of attention to the team. At the time of his selection, Strasburg was called the "most-hyped pick in draft history," and Harper later became the youngest position player to be selected to the MLB All-Star Game. Third baseman and 2019 NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon was picked 6th overall in the 2011 MLB draft.

History

Early baseball in Washington, D.C.

Main article: History of Washington, D.C. professional baseball

Multiple short-lived baseball franchises, including two named the Nationals, played in Washington with the National Association in the 1870s. The first Washington Nationals team in a major league played in the American Association in 1884. Another Washington Nationals team also played in the Union Association during its only season in 1884. The first Washington Nationals of the National League played from 1886 to 1889.

Washington Senators

Main articles: Washington Senators (1891–99), Washington Senators (1912), History of the Washington Senators (1901–60), and Texas Rangers (baseball)

The Washington Statesmen played in the American Association in 1891, before jumping to the National League as the Senators the following season. The Washington Senators, who were often referred to as the Nationals, played in the National League from 1892 to 1899. They were followed by another Washington Senators franchise in 1901, a charter member of the new American League, who were officially named the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1956. The first American League Senators franchise moved to Minnesota after the 1960 season and became the Minnesota Twins. They were replaced in Washington by an expansion team, the second Senators franchise, which began play in 1961 and moved to Arlington, Texas, after the 1971 season to become the Texas Rangers.

Montreal Expos

Main article: Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos were part of the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion, which included the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers), Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres. Based in Montreal, the Expos were the first Major League team in Canada.

The majority-share owner was by Charles Bronfman, a major shareholder in Seagram. Named after the Expo 67 World's Fair, the Expos' initial home was Jarry Park. Managed by Gene Mauch, the team lost 110 games in their first season, coincidentally matching the Padres inaugural win-loss record, and continued to struggle during their first decade with sub-.500 seasons.

Starting in 1977, the team's home venue was Montreal's Olympic Stadium, built for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Two years later, the team won a franchise-high 95 games, finishing second in the National League East. The Expos began the 1980s with a core group of young players, including catcher Gary Carter, outfielders Tim Raines and Andre Dawson, third baseman Tim Wallach, and pitchers Steve Rogers and Bill Gullickson. The team won its only division championship in the strike-shortened split season of 1981, ending its season with a three games to two loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

The team spent most of the 1980s in the middle of the NL East pack, finishing in third or fourth place in eight out of nine seasons from 1982 to 1990. Buck Rodgers was hired as manager before the 1985 season and guided the Expos to a .500 or better record five times in six years, with the highlight coming in 1987, when they won 91 games. They finished third, but were just four games behind the division-winning Cardinals.

Bronfman sold the team to a consortium of owners in 1991, with Claude Brochu as the managing general partner. Rodgers, at that time second only to Gene Mauch in number of Expos games managed, was replaced partway through the 1991 season. In May 1992, Felipe Alou, a member of the Expos organization since 1976, was promoted to manager, becoming the first Dominican-born manager in MLB history. Alou would become the leader in Expos games managed, while guiding the team to winning records, including 1994, when the Expos, led by a talented group of players including Larry Walker, Moisés Alou, Marquis Grissom and Pedro Martínez, had the best record in the major leagues until the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season. After the disappointment of 1994, Expos management began shedding its key players, and the team's fan support dwindled.

Brochu sold control of the team to Jeffrey Loria in 1999, but Loria failed to close on a plan to build a new downtown ballpark, and did not reach an agreement on television and English radio broadcast contracts for the 2000 season, reducing the team's media coverage.

Proposed 2001 contraction

After the 2001 season, MLB considered revoking the team's franchise, along with either the Minnesota Twins or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In November 2001, Major League Baseball's owners voted 28–2 to contract the league by two teams — according to various sources, the Expos and the Minnesota Twins, both of which reportedly voted against contraction. Subsequently, the Boston Red Sox were sold to a partnership led by John W. Henry, owner of the Florida Marlins. In order to clear the way for Henry's group to assume ownership of the Red Sox, Henry sold the Marlins to Loria, and MLB purchased the Expos from Loria. However, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, operator of the Metrodome, won an injunction requiring the Twins to play there in 2002. Because MLB was unable to revoke the Twins franchise, it was compelled to keep both the Twins and Expos as part of the regular season schedule. In the collective bargaining agreement signed with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in August 2002, contraction was prohibited until the end of the contract in 2006. By that time, the Expos had become the Washington Nationals and the Twins had made sufficient progress towards the eventual building of a new baseball-specific stadium that contraction was no longer on the agenda.

Creation of the Washington Nationals

With contraction no longer an option for the immediate term, MLB began looking for a relocation site for the Expos. Some of the choices included: Oklahoma City; Washington, D.C.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Monterrey, Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Northern Virginia (such as Arlington or Dulles); Norfolk, Virginia; Las Vegas; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Washington, D.C., and both Virginia locations emerged as the front-runners.

In both 2003 and 2004, the Expos played 22 of their home games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium, and the remaining 59 in Montreal.

On September 29, 2004, MLB announced the Expos would move to Washington, D.C., in 2005.

The Expos played their final game on October 3 at Shea Stadium in New York, losing by a score of 8–1 against the New York Mets, the same opponent the Expos faced in their first game, 35 years earlier. On November 15, a lawsuit by the former team owners against MLB and former majority owner Jeffrey Loria was struck down by arbitrators, bringing to an end all legal actions that would impede a move. The owners of the other MLB teams approved the move to Washington, D.C., in a 28–1 vote on December 3 (Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos cast the sole dissenting vote).

Washington baseball history revived

Main article: History of Washington, D.C. professional baseball

Numerous professional baseball teams have called Washington, D.C., home. The Washington Senators, a founding member of the American League (AL), played in the nation's capital from 1901 to 1960 before moving to Minnesota and becoming the Twins. The original Washington American League Base Ball Club was founded by three local businessmen: Edward J. Walsh, Benjamin Minor, and Harry Rapley. Clark Griffith was hired as manager in 1912 and became a part owner, accumulating majority shares in later years. The stadium, originally known as National Park and then American League Park, later became known as Griffith Stadium. With notable stars including Walter Johnson and Joe Cronin, the Senators won the 1924 World Series and pennants in 1925 and 1933. The franchise became more successful after moving to Minnesota for the 1961 season to be renamed the Minnesota Twins. A second Washington Senators team (1961–1971) had a winning record only once in its 11 years, although it featured slugger Frank Howard, who was inducted into the Ring of Fame at the new Nationals Park in 2016. This team was notable also because Ted Williams was manager in 1971. The expansion Senators moved to Arlington, Texas, for the 1972 season and changed their name to the Texas Rangers. The city of Washington spent the next 33 years without a baseball team.

Although there was some sentiment to revive the name Senators when the Montreal Expos franchise moved to Washington in 2005, legal and political considerations factored into the choice of Nationals, a revival of the first American League franchise's official name used from 1901 to 1956. Politicians and others in the District of Columbia objected to the name Senators because the District of Columbia does not have voting representation in Congress. In addition, the Rangers still owned the rights to the Senators name, although the Nationals were able to acquire the rights to the curly "W" logo from the Rangers. This logo looked a lot like Walgreens logo, but the drugstore chain never sued because, even though people have trouble telling the logos apart, it is believed the chain does not see this as a problem.

Washington, D.C., mayor Anthony A. Williams supported the name "Washington Grays", in honor of the Negro-league team the Homestead Grays (1929–1950), which had been based in Pittsburgh, but played many of their home games in Washington. On November 21, 2004, the team's management chose the name "Washington Nationals".

Washington Nationals

Main article: History of the Washington Nationals

Nationals versus the Cincinnati Reds in 2009 at Nationals Park

When Ted Lerner took over the club in mid-2006, he hired Stan Kasten as team president. Kasten was widely known as the architect of the Atlanta Braves before and during their run of 14 division titles. Kasten was also the general manager or president of many other Atlanta-area sports teams, including the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. "The Plan", as it became known, was a long-range rebuilding and restructuring of the team from the ground up. This plan included investing in the farm system and the draft, and having a suitable team to go along with their new stadium.

In the front office, the Nationals hired the well-respected former Arizona scouting director Mike Rizzo to be the vice president of baseball operations, second in charge under then-general manager Jim Bowden.

Thanks to back-to-back No. 1 picks of Stephen Strasburg (in 2009) and Bryce Harper (in 2010), and other strong moves to their farm system, the Nationals became a contending team by 2012, winning division titles in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017, but have lost in NLDS each time. In 2018, the All-Star Game was played at Nationals Park.

In 2016, the Nationals acquired Mets infielder Daniel Murphy, who made the All Star Game in each of his two years as a National.

On July 31, 2018, the Nationals set a scoring record with a 25–4 win over the Mets.

The Nationals advanced past the divisional round of the MLB playoffs for the first time as the Nationals on October 9, 2019, with a 7–3 win over the Dodgers that sent them to the NLCS. The Nationals advanced to the World Series after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, making their first World Series appearance in franchise history.

Postseason appearances

Year	Wild Card Game		NLDS		NLCS		World Series
1981	None		Philadelphia Phillies	W 3–2	Los Angeles Dodgers	L (2–3)
2012	Bye (Won NL East)		St. Louis Cardinals	L (2–3)
2014	Bye (Won NL East)		San Francisco Giants	L (1–3)
2016	Bye (Won NL East)		Los Angeles Dodgers	L (2–3)
2017	Bye (Won NL East)		Chicago Cubs	L (2–3)
2019	Milwaukee Brewers W		Los Angeles Dodgers	W (3–2)	St. Louis Cardinals	W (4–0)

1. ^↑Appeared as the Montreal Expos .
2. ^↑This and subsequent appearances as the Washington Nationals .
3. ^↑The wild-card game was first played in 2012 .

People of note

Managers

Manager	Tenure	Regular season				Post-season						Totals
		Wins	Losses	Win %	Best finish	Appearances	Wins	Losses	Win %	Wild Card record	Series record	Wins	Losses	Win %
Frank Robinson	2005–2006	152	172	.469	81–81, 5th (2005)	—	—	—	—	—	—	152	172	.469
Manny Acta	2007–2009	158	252	.385	73–89, 4th (2007)	—	—	—	—	—	—	158	252	.385
Jim Riggleman	2009–2011	140	172	.449	69–93, 5th (2010)	—	—	—	—	—	—	140	172	.449
John McLaren (interim)	2011	2	1	.667	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1	.667
Davey Johnson	2011–2013	224	183	.550	98–64, 1st (2012)	2012	2	3	.400	—	0–1	226	186	.549
Matt Williams	2014–2015	179	145	.552	96–66, 1st (2014)	2014	1	3	.250	—	0–1	180	148	.549
Dusty Baker	2016–2017	192	132	.593	97–65, 1st (2017)	2016, 2017	4	6	.400	—	0–2	196	138	.587
Dave Martinez	2018–present	175	149	.540	93–69, 2nd (2019)	2019	8	2	.800	1–0	2–0	183	151	.548

Note: Updated through October 15, 2019.

Broadcasters

Main article: List of Washington Nationals broadcasters

• Charlie Slowes – radio (2005–present)
• Dave Shea – radio (2005)
• Dave Jageler – radio (2006–present)
• Mel Proctor – TV (2005)
• Ron Darling – TV (2005)
• Bob Carpenter – TV (2006–present)
• Tom Paciorek – TV (2006)
• Don Sutton – TV (2007–2008)
• Rob Dibble – TV (2009–2010)
• F. P. Santangelo – TV (2011–present)

Players

Roster

Washington Nationals roster
Active roster				Inactive roster		Coaches/Other
Pitchers Starting rotation 47 Gio González 57 Tanner Roark 41 Joe Ross 31 Max Scherzer 37 Stephen Strasburg Bullpen 27 Shawn Kelley 46 Óliver Pérez 52 Yusmeiro Petit 73 Felipe Rivero 36 Sammy Solis 45 Blake Treinen Closer 58 Jonathan Papelbon		Catchers 59 José Lobatón 40 Wilson Ramos Infielders 10 Stephen Drew  8 Danny Espinosa 20 Daniel Murphy  6 Anthony Rendon 25 Clint Robinson 11 Ryan Zimmerman Outfielders 34 Bryce Harper 14 Chris Heisey  9 Ben Revere  3 Michael Taylor 28 Jayson Werth		Pitchers 18 Matt Belisle 10px 43 A. J. Cole 62 Abel De Los Santos 26 Trevor Gott 33 Matt Grace 38 Taylor Jordan 56 Nick Lee 53 Rafael Martin Catchers 64 Spencer Kieboom 29 Pedro Severino Infielders 65 Chris Bostick  1 Wilmer Difo  7 Trea Turner Outfielders 21 Matt den Dekker 48 Brian Goodwin		Manager 12 Dusty Baker Coaches 54 Dan Firova (bullpen) 13 Bob Henley (third base) 24 Jacque Jones (assistant hitting) 15 Davey Lopes (first base) 51 Mike Maddux (pitching) 39 Rick Schu (hitting) 35 Chris Speier (bench) 60-day disabled list 30 Aaron Barrett 25 active, 15 inactive 10px 7- or 15-day disabled list † Suspended list # Personal leave Roster and coaches updated May 6, 2016 Transactions • Depth chart → All MLB rosters

Baseball Hall of Famers

Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Washington Nationals Hall of Famers
Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Montreal Expos Gary Carter Andre Dawson Vladimir Guerrero Randy Johnson Pedro Martínez Tony Pérez Tim Raines Lee Smith Dick Williams2 Washington Nationals Frank Robinson1 Iván Rodríguez Players and managers listed in bold are depicted on their Hall of Fame plaques wearing a Expos or Nationals cap insignia. 1 – inducted as player; managed Expos/Nationals 2 – inducted as manager, also played for Expos/Nationals or was manager

Ford C. Frick Award

Washington Nationals Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Tom Cheek Dave Van Horne Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as broadcasters for the Expos or Nationals.

Retired numbers

Jackie Robinson 2B Retired 1997

See also: List of Major League Baseball retired numbers

During the franchise's period in Montreal, the Montreal Expos retired three numbers in honor of four players, plus Jackie Robinson's number 42 which was retired throughout all Major League Baseball in 1997. Following the move to Washington, D.C., the numbers (except 42) were returned to circulation and remain in use as of 2016, although the "Team History" section of the Nationals' website continues to refer to the numbers as "retired." When Washington wore Expos throwback jerseys on July 6, 2019, catcher Yan Gomes wore his usual number 10, even though the number is retired by the Expos, for Andre Dawson and Rusty Staub.

After the Expos' departure from Montreal, the National Hockey League′s Montreal Canadiens hung a banner in Bell Centre honoring the Expos' retired numbers.

Ring of Honor

On August 10, 2010, the Nationals unveiled a "Ring of Honor" at Nationals Park to honor National Baseball Hall of Fame members who had played "significant years" for the Washington Nationals, original Washington Senators (1901–1960), expansion Washington Senators (1961–1971), Homestead Grays, or Montreal Expos. In late August 2016, the team dropped the criterion that an inductee be a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, also opening membership to "anyone who has made a significant contribution to the game of baseball in Washington, D.C."; the first inductee under the revised criteria was Frank Howard.

The Nationals′ attempt to honor the Montreal-Washington franchise′s entire history in the Ring of Honor, as well as by tracking Montreal-Washington franchise records, is not without controversy; it has been criticized as "an embodiment of the team’s desire to find history before it can make much." Although Nationals fans generally take little interest in the franchise′s Montreal years, some do appreciate acknowledging that the franchise has a history that predates its arrival in Washington, and former Expo Tim Raines received a warm round of applause from fans at Nationals Park at his induction ceremony on August 28, 2017, even though he had never even visited Washington, D.C., before, let alone played baseball there. Some Montreal Expos fans express appreciation that the Nationals are honoring the Expos, and Expos players inducted into the Ring of Honor have expressed gratitude that the Nationals chose to include them, especially with no MLB team in Montreal to honor their careers. However, few Nationals fans have taken an interest in franchise records, preferring to compare Nationals records with those of previous Washington MLB teams instead, and a segment of Nationals fans actively opposes the inclusion of Expos history into that of the Nationals, taking the view that the Montreal years are irrelevant to Washington and that the team made a complete break with its past and started anew when it arrived in Washington, inheriting the history of the two Washington Senators teams rather than that of the Expos. Similarly, Montreal Expos fans have taken little or no interest in the achievements of Nationals players, and some Expos fans strongly oppose the inclusion of former Expos in the Ring, taking the position that to do so is to co-opt the history of the Expos, which they say belongs solely in Montreal.

Observers also have noted that the admission of the first Nationals player to the Ring of Honor, Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez, although he was well-liked as a National, highlights another awkward aspect of the Ring of Honor's acceptance criteria, because Rodriguez's inclusion arose out of his admission to the National Baseball Hall of Fame based on his exploits for other teams, not out of anything he did during a 155-game, two-season stint with the Nationals at the end of his career in years in which the Nationals posted mediocre records. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo responded that his inclusion had merit even based on his time with the Nationals, when he "taught us how to be a professional franchise."

In a ceremony held at Nationals Park between games of a doubleheader on the evening of September 8, 2018, the Nationals inducted former outfielder Jayson Werth, who played for the Nationals from 2011 through 2017, into the Ring of Honor. He became the first "true" National – the first person based specifically on his career as a National – inducted into the Ring of Honor.

The Ring of Honor includes:

Washington Nationals Ring of Honor
Homestead Grays
No.	Inductee	Position	Tenure	Admitted
4	Cool Papa Bell	CF	1932, 1943–1946	August 10, 2010
—	Ray Brown	P	1932–1945 1947–1948	August 10, 2010
20	Josh Gibson	C	1937–1946	August 10, 2010
32	Buck Leonard	1B	1934–1950	August 10, 2010
—	Cumberland Posey	OF/Manager/Owner Club official	1911–1946	August 10, 2010
—	Jud Wilson	3B	1931–1932 1940–1945	August 10, 2010
Montreal Expos
No.	Inductee	Position	Tenure	Admitted
8	Gary Carter	C	1974–1984, 1992	August 10, 2010
10	Andre Dawson	CF	1976–1986	August 10, 2010
30	Tim Raines	LF	1979–1990, 2001	August 28, 2017
20	Frank Robinson	Manager	2002–2004	May 9, 2015
Washington Nationals
No.	Inductee	Position	Tenure	Admitted
20	Frank Robinson	Manager	2005–2006	May 9, 2015
7	Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez	C	2010–2011	August 28, 2017
28	Jayson Werth	RF, LF	2011-2017	September 8, 2018
Washington Senators (original team, 1901–1960)
No.	Inductee	Position	Tenure	Admitted
4	Joe Cronin	SS	1928–1934	August 10, 2010
8, 10, 37	Rick Ferrell	C	1937–1941 1944–1945, 1947	August 10, 2010
3, 5, 20	Goose Goslin	LF	1921–1930 1933, 1938	August 10, 2010
—	Clark Griffith	P Owner	P: 1912–1914 Owner: 1920–1955	August 10, 2010
28, 30, 35, 50	Bucky Harris	2B Manager	2B: 1919–1928  Manager: 1924–1928, 1935–1942, 1950–1954	August 10, 2010
—	Walter Johnson	P	1907–1927	August 10, 2010
3, 12, 25	Harmon Killebrew	1B	1954–1960	August 10, 2010
2, 3	Heinie Manush	LF	1930–1935	August 10, 2010
2, 22	Sam Rice	RF	1915–1933	August 10, 2010
11, 20, 26, 44	Early Wynn	P	1939–1944 1946–1948	August 10, 2010
Washington Senators (expansion team, 1961–1971)
No.	Inductee	Position	Tenure	Admitted
—	Bucky Harris	Scout/Special Assistant	1963–1971	August 10, 2010
9, 33	Frank Howard	LF/1B	1965–1971	August 26, 2016

Attendance

Source:

Season	Stadium	Season Total	Rank in National League	Game Average
2005	RFK Stadium	2,731,993	8th (of 16)	33,651
2006	RFK Stadium	2,153,056	11th (of 16)	26,582
2007	RFK Stadium	1,943,812	14th (of 16)	24,217
2008	Nationals Park	2,320,400	13th (of 16)	29,005
2009	Nationals Park	1,817,226	13th (of 16)	22,716
2010	Nationals Park	1,828,066	14th (of 16)	22,569
2011	Nationals Park	1,940,478	14th (of 16)	24,256
2012	Nationals Park	2,370,794	9th (of 16)	30,010
2013	Nationals Park	2,652,422	6th (of 15)	32,746
2014	Nationals Park	2,579,389	7th (of 15)	31,844
2015	Nationals Park	2,619,843	5th (of 15)	32,344
2016	Nationals Park	2,481,938	7th (of 15)	30,641
2017	Nationals Park	2,524,980	7th (of 15)	31,172
2018	Nationals Park	2,529,604	8th (of 15)	31,230
2019	Nationals Park	2,259,781	12th (of 15)	27,899

Season standings

Main article: List of Washington Nationals seasons

Standings updated on September 29, 2019.

MLB season	Team season	League	Division	Regular season					Postseason	Awards
				Finish	Wins	Losses	Win%	GB
2005	2005	NL	East	5th	81	81	.500	9	—	Chad Cordero—Rolaids Relief Man
2006	2006	NL	East	5th	71	91	.438	26	—	Alfonso Soriano—Silver Slugger
2007	2007	NL	East	4th	73	89	.451	18	—	Dmitri Young—Players Choice Award National League Comeback Player
2008	2008	NL	East	5th	59	102	.366	32½	—	—
2009	2009	NL	East	5th	59	103	.364	34	—	Ryan Zimmerman—Gold Glove and Silver Slugger
2010	2010	NL	East	5th	69	93	.426	28	—	Ryan Zimmerman—Silver Slugger
2011	2011	NL	East	3rd	80	81	.497	21½	—	—
2012	2012	NL	East	1st	98	64	.605	—	Won NL East Division by 4 games; Lost NLDS 2–3 vs. Cardinals	Adam LaRoche—Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Ian Desmond—Silver Slugger Stephen Strasburg—Silver Slugger Bryce Harper—National League Rookie of the Year Davey Johnson—National League Manager of the Year
2013	2013	NL	East	2nd	86	76	.531	10	—	Ian Desmond—Silver Slugger
2014	2014	NL	East	1st	96	66	.593	—	Won NL East Division by 17 games; Lost NLDS 1–3 vs. Giants	Ian Desmond—Silver Slugger Anthony Rendon—Silver Slugger Wilson Ramos—Tony Conigliaro Award Matt Williams—National League Manager of the Year
2015	2015	NL	East	2nd	83	79	.512	7	—	Bryce Harper—National League Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, Players Choice Award National League Outstanding Player, Esurance MLB Awards for Best Major Leaguer and Best Everyday Player
2016	2016	NL	East	1st	95	67	.586	—	Won NL East Division by 8 games; Lost NLDS 2–3 vs. Dodgers	Daniel Murphy—Silver Slugger and Players Choice Award National League Outstanding Player Wilson Ramos—Silver Slugger Max Scherzer— National League Cy Young Award, Esurance MLB Awards for Best Pitcher and Best Performance Anthony Rendon—National League Comeback Player of the Year
2017	2017	NL	East	1st	97	65	.599	—	Won NL East Division by 20 games; Lost NLDS 2–3 vs. Cubs	Daniel Murphy—Silver Slugger Max Scherzer—National League Cy Young Award, Players Choice Award National League Outstanding Pitcher Ryan Zimmerman—Players Choice Award National League Comeback Player
2018	2018	NL	East	2nd	82	80	.506	8	—
2019	2019	NL	East	2nd	93	69	.574	4	Won NLWC 4-3 vs. Milwaukee Brewers; Won NLDS 3-2 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers; Won NLCS 4-0 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Bold denotes a playoff season, pennant, or championship; italics denote an active season.

Spring training

Main articles: Space Coast Stadium and FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches

The Nationals hold spring training in Florida, where they play their annual slate of Grapefruit League games. From 2005 through 2016, they held spring training at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, a facility that they inherited from the Expos. In 2017, the Nationals moved their spring training operations to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a new facility they share with the Houston Astros in West Palm Beach, Florida; they played their first Grapefruit League game there on February 28, 2017. On February 16, 2018, it was renamed FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches after the Nationals and Astros signed a 12-year deal for the naming rights to the stadium that day with FITTEAM, an event brand partnership and organic products firm located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Minor league affiliations

Main article: List of Washington Nationals minor league affiliates

Level	Team	League	Location	Seasons
AAA	Fresno Grizzlies	Pacific Coast League	Fresno, California	2019–present
AA	Harrisburg Senators	Eastern League	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	1991–present
Advanced A	Fredericksburg Nationals	Carolina League	Fredericksburg, Virginia	2020–present
A	Hagerstown Suns	South Atlantic League	Hagerstown, Maryland	2007–present
Short Season A	Auburn Doubledays	New York–Penn League	Auburn, New York	2011–present
Rookie	GCL Nationals	Gulf Coast League	West Palm Beach, Florida	1969–present
	DSL Nationals	Dominican Summer League	Dominican Republic	2005–present

Former affiliates

Level	League	Team (Seasons)
AAA	American Association	Indianapolis Indians (1984–1992) Wichita Aeros (1982–1983) Denver Bears (1976–1981)
	International League	Syracuse Chiefs (2009–2018) Columbus Clippers (2007–2008) Ottawa Lynx (1993–2002) Memphis Blues (1974–1975) Peninsula Whips (1972–1973) Winnipeg Whips (1970–1971) Buffalo Bisons (1970)
	Pacific Coast League	New Orleans Zephyrs (2005–2006) Edmonton Trappers (2003–2004) Vancouver Mounties (1969)
AA	Eastern League	Quebec Metros (1976–1977) Quebec Carnavals (1971–1975)
	Southern League	Memphis Chicks (1978–1983) Jacksonville Suns (1970, 1984–1990)
A	California League	San Jose Expos (1982)
	Carolina League	Potomac Nationals (2005–2019) Kinston Expos (1974)
	Florida State League	Brevard County Manatees (2002–2004) Jupiter Hammerheads (1998–2001) West Palm Beach Expos (1969–1997)
	Midwest League	Clinton LumberKings (2001–2002) Burlington Bees (1993–1994) Rockford Expos (1988–1992) Burlington Expos (1986–1987)
	South Atlantic League	Savannah Sand Gnats (2003–2006) Cape Fear Crocs (1997–2000) Delmarva Shorebirds (1996) Albany Polecats (1992, 1995) Sumter Flyers (1991) Gastonia Expos (1983–1984)
Short Season A	New York–Penn League	Vermont Expos/Lake Monsters (1994–2010) Jamestown Falcons/Expos (1973, 1977–1993)
	Northern League	Watertown Expos (1970–1971)
Rookie Advanced	Pioneer League	Calgary Expos (1979-1984)
		Lethbridge Expos (1975-1976)

Nationals Dream Foundation

The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation is the team's charity which is "committed to community partnerships that improve the lives of children and families across the Washington Capital Region. The foundation opened a youth baseball academy in partnership with the D.C. government, and a pediatric diabetes care center at Children's National Medical Center in partnership with the Center. The foundation also provides grants to local organizations.

On August 1, 2011, the foundation, in partnership with several local organizations, formally opened Miracle Field in Germantown, Maryland as part of an effort to encourage athletic activity in children with "mental and/or physical challenges." According to Steven Miller of MLB.com, what sets Miracle Field apart in terms of safety is its unique design, as it "is made entirely of a cushioned synthetic turf that is five-eighths of an inch thick-- providing a safe surface for children in wheelchairs or with other handicaps."

Radio and television

Further information: Washington Nationals Radio Network

Mascots dressed as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln in the stands during a 2010 game against the Baltimore Orioles. They compete in the Presidents Race every mid-fourth inning of a home game.

The Nationals' flagship radio station is WJFK-FM (106.7 FM) "The Fan", which is owned by Entercom. Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler are the play-by-play announcers. WJFK fronts a radio network of 19 stations serving portions of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Delaware as well as the District.

WFED (1500 AM) had been the flagship station since the 2006 season until a multi-year agreement was reached between the Nationals and WJFK before the 2011 season. WFED remains on the network as an affiliate; its 50 kilowatt clear-channel signal allows the Nationals' home-team call to be heard up and down the East Coast.

WWZZ (104.1 FM), which carried games in the 2005 season, was the team's first flagship radio station.

Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) televises all games not picked up by one of MLB's national television partners. Bob Carpenter has been the TV play-by-play announcer since 2006 and F.P. Santangelo was hired in January 2011 as color analyst. Mel Proctor was the TV play-by-announcer in 2005, and former color analysts are Ron Darling (2005), Tom Paciorek (2006), Don Sutton (2007–2008), and Rob Dibble, who took over the job in 2009 and was fired in September 2010 after criticizing Stephen Strasburg for not pitching while injured. Ray Knight filled in as color analyst in September 2010 after Dibble was fired.

Previously, WDCA (channel 20) carried 76 games in the 2005 season while the newly founded MASN was still negotiating cable carriage. From 2009 through 2017, MASN syndicated a package of 20 games for simulcast on an over-the-air television station in Washington. Broadcast partners under this arrangement were WDCW (channel 50) from 2009 through 2012 and CBS affiliate WUSA (channel 9) from 2013 through 2017. MASN did not continue the syndication deal for the 2018 season.

In the midst of a season in which they finished with the worst record in Major League Baseball, the Nationals′ television ratings were among the worst in the National League in July 2008 but increased during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Since 2012, when they began to achieve consistent success on the field, their television viewership has grown continually and dramatically. By 2016, the Nationals′ prime-time television ratings were 15th highest among the 29 U.S. MLB teams, and they rose to 12th in 2017. Ratings declined to 18th among the 29 U.S. teams for the 2018 season.

Rivalries

Baltimore Orioles (Beltway Series)

Main article: Beltway Series

The Nationals have an interleague rivalry with the nearby Baltimore Orioles, which is nicknamed the Beltway Series. The teams have played two series a season – one in Baltimore and one in Washington – since 2006.

Footnotes

1. ^a RFK Stadium Fast Facts

External links

• Washington Nationals official website
• FOX Sports – Washington Nationals team front
• Sandalow, Marc. "A Brand-New Ballgame: The New Stadium of the Nationals", Washingtonian, March 1, 2008.

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves New York Mets	National League Eastern Division champions 1981 (as Montreal Expos) 2012 2014 2016, 2017	Succeeded by St. Louis Cardinals Atlanta Braves New York Mets Atlanta Braves