49 Fun Facts About Washington Nationals

Before moving to Washington in 2005, the franchise played in which city?

The franchise played in Montreal as the Expos from 1969 to 2004, the first Major League team based in Canada, before relocating to Washington.

Who was the Expos' first manager, in 1969?

Gene Mauch was the Expos' first manager, running the club from its 1969 debut through the 1975 season.

In which season did the Expos post the best record in the majors?

The 1994 Expos were 74-40, the best record in the majors, when the strike ended the season in August and cancelled the World Series; a fire sale followed.

In November 2001 MLB owners voted 28-2 to eliminate the Expos and which other team?

A Metrodome lease injunction saved the Twins, and the 2002 labour deal banned contraction until 2006.

Which owner sold the Expos to MLB in 2002 in a deal that let him buy the Florida Marlins?

Jeffrey Loria sold the Expos to Major League Baseball for $120 million in February 2002 and used the proceeds to buy the Marlins from John Henry, who then bought the Red Sox.

The Nationals are the eighth major league franchise in Washington and the first since which year?

The expansion Senators played their last Washington season in 1971 before moving to Arlington, Texas, as the Rangers, leaving the capital without a team until 2005.

Which owner cast the lone vote against moving the Expos to Washington in December 2004?

Peter Angelos of the Orioles objected to a team in his market; as compensation MLB gave him control of the new club's television rights.

Why did District politicians object to reviving the name 'Senators' for the new team?

D.C. has no voting representation in Congress, so Mayor Anthony Williams and other District politicians felt 'Senators' would mock the city's lack of its own senators; 'Nationals' was chosen instead.

Mayor Anthony Williams wanted the new team named in honour of which Negro league club?

The Homestead Grays, though based near Pittsburgh, played many 1940s home games at Washington's Griffith Stadium; Mayor Williams favoured 'Grays' before 'Nationals' was chosen.

The Nationals played their first three seasons in Washington at which venue?

RFK Stadium, the multipurpose bowl that had been the expansion Senators' home for a decade, hosted the Nationals from 2005 until Nationals Park opened in 2008.

The Nationals' first draft pick, in 2005, was which University of Virginia third baseman?

He spent his entire career with the club and became the first National to have his number retired, in 2022.

Which U.S. president threw out the first pitch at the first game at Nationals Park in March 2008?

George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch on March 30, 2008, and the Nationals won the park's first game on a ninth-inning walk-off homer against Atlanta.

Nationals Park was the first major U.S. sports stadium to earn what distinction?

Nationals Park became the first major professional stadium in the United States to earn LEED green-building certification, at Silver level, when it opened in 2008 beside the Anacostia River.

The Nationals used the first overall draft pick in 2009 and 2010 on which two players?

Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper went first overall in 2009 and 2010 respectively, after the Nationals finished last in consecutive seasons; both became faces of the franchise.

How many batters did the Nationals' 2009 No. 1 pick strike out in his 2010 MLB debut?

The 2009 top pick struck out 14 Pirates without a walk in his debut on June 8, 2010, a Nationals-era record; he needed Tommy John surgery before the season was out.

Bryce Harper was drafted as a catcher after leaving high school early to enrol where?

Harper earned his GED and enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada, a junior college, where he won the 2010 Golden Spikes Award at 17, a year after Sports Illustrated dubbed him 'Baseball's Chosen One'.

Bryce Harper became the youngest unanimous NL MVP in which season?

In 2015 Harper hit 42 homers with a .330 average, becoming the youngest unanimous MVP at 23; the Nationals still missed the playoffs and manager Matt Williams was fired.

After the 2018 season Bryce Harper left the Nationals to sign with which division rival?

His 13-year, $330M deal was briefly the richest in North American sports; the Nats won the World Series without him.

The Nationals won their first division title in which season?

The 2012 Nationals went 98-64 for the club's first NL East title, then lost the NLDS when St. Louis scored four runs with two outs in the ninth of Game 5.

Max Scherzer's 2015 free-agent contract with Washington was worth how much over seven years?

Scherzer's seven-year, $210 million deal, signed that January, was followed by two Cy Youngs as a National and a Game 7 start in the 2019 World Series before a 2021 trade to the Dodgers.

The Nationals began 2019 with what record before their turnaround?

Washington was 19-31 on May 23, 2019, then went 74-38 the rest of the way to finish 93-69 and reach the postseason as a wild card.

The Nationals beat which team 4-3 in the 2019 NL Wild Card Game?

Washington beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 when Juan Soto's bases-loaded single in the eighth skipped past right fielder Trent Grisham, scoring three runs.

The Nationals defeated which team in the 2019 World Series?

It was the first World Series in which the road team won every game.

What was unprecedented about the 2019 World Series?

The road team won all seven games, a first in World Series history; the visitors outscored the hosts 49-14 across the Series.

Who was named MVP of the 2019 World Series?

Stephen Strasburg won both his starts in the Series and was named MVP; he re-signed for $245 million, but injuries limited him to 31 innings under the deal.

Whose two-run homer off the foul pole gave the Nationals the lead for good in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series?

Howie Kendrick's two-run homer off the right-field foul pole in the seventh inning of Game 7 put Washington ahead 3-2; he had also hit a tenth-inning grand slam in NLDS Game 5.

The 2019 Nationals went 5-0 in postseason elimination games, and all five wins had what in common?

Each was a comeback: they were come-from-behind victories in the Wild Card Game, NLDS Games 4 and 5, and World Series Games 6 and 7, a postseason first.

The Nationals traded Juan Soto to San Diego in 2022 after he rejected an extension offer worth how much?

Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension in July 2022 and was dealt to the Padres days later; in December 2024 he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets.

Which two players from the Soto trade became Nationals cornerstones, one an All-Star in 2024?

CJ Abrams and James Wood both arrived in the August 2022 Soto trade; Abrams was an All-Star in 2024, the season Wood made his debut.

Which manager led the Nationals to the 2019 title and was fired in July 2025?

Dave Martinez managed the club from 2018, winning the 2019 World Series, until he and general manager Mike Rizzo were dismissed on the same day in July 2025.

Blake Butera, hired to run the Nationals' dugout in October 2025, was notable for being what?

Butera was 33 when hired in October 2025, making him MLB's youngest skipper in over 50 years; he arrived from the Tampa Bay Rays' player-development system.

Which family bought the Nationals from MLB in 2006, with Ted as principal owner?

Ted Lerner hired Braves architect Stan Kasten as president and launched 'The Plan' to rebuild through the draft.

Which giant-headed Mount Rushmore president famously could not win the Presidents Race at Nationals Park?

Teddy Roosevelt lost every race from the event's 2006 start, despite head starts, before finally winning on the last day of the regular season nearly seven years later.

Which president was added to the Presidents Race in 2013 and retired after 2016?

William Howard Taft, nicknamed 'Bill', joined the race in 2013 and was retired after the 2016 season; Coolidge and Hoover each raced for a single season.

The Racing Presidents wear jersey numbers corresponding to what?

The numbers mark their order as president: Washington wears 1, Jefferson 3 and Lincoln 16.

The Nationals' 2022 City Connect uniform paid homage to what?

The 2022 City Connect set was gray with pink cherry blossoms, a nod to the trees around the Tidal Basin that bloom each spring.

The Nationals lost in the NLDS in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017; which team beat them in Game 5 in 2017?

The Chicago Cubs won Game 5 9-8 at Nationals Park in October 2017, ending another Washington division series; Dusty Baker's contract was not renewed afterwards.

The Nationals' first big free-agent signing, ahead of the 2011 season, was which outfielder?

Jayson Werth signed a seven-year, $126 million contract in December 2010, the club's first major free-agent splash, and played for Washington through 2017.

Who managed the Nationals in their first Washington season, 2005?

Frank Robinson, the Hall of Famer who had managed the Expos since 2002, led the Nationals to an 81-81 record in their first season in Washington.

Which Expos mascot became the first in Major League history to be ejected from a game, in 1989?

Youppi! was tossed by umpire Bob Davidson on August 23, 1989, for cavorting atop the Dodgers' dugout in the 11th inning; the Canadiens adopted him in 2005.

Which Expos star of the early years was nicknamed 'Le Grand Orange'?

Rusty Staub, acquired in a trade before the 1969 inaugural season, was the Expos' first star and hit 30 homers in 1970; Expos fans dubbed him 'Le Grand Orange'.

The Expos played their first years at Jarry Park before moving in 1977 to which venue?

Olympic Stadium, 'The Big O', was built for the 1976 Summer Games; its retractable Kevlar roof was not installed until 1987 and never worked reliably.

Which network was the Nationals tied to from 2005 until 2025 under a deal demanded by the Orioles' owner?

MASN, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network controlled by the Orioles, carried Nationals games for two decades; the Nationals held a minority stake and fought years of litigation over rights fees.

Which TV analyst was fired in September 2010 after criticising the team's injured rookie ace?

Rob Dibble said on air that the injured rookie ace should 'suck it up' days before the pitcher was found to need Tommy John surgery; the network dropped Dibble and Ray Knight filled in.

Nationals Park has a seating capacity of roughly how many?

Nationals Park seats about 41,400; it hosted the 2018 All-Star Game, the summer Juan Soto debuted at 19.

Who threw the Washington Nationals' first no-hitter, on the final day of the 2014 season?

Jordan Zimmermann no-hit the Marlins 1-0 on September 28, 2014, the regular season's final day, sealed by Steven Souza Jr.'s diving catch in left field.

Which Nationals pitcher struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game in May 2016?

Max Scherzer struck out 20 Detroit Tigers on May 11, 2016, tying the nine-inning record shared by Roger Clemens, Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson.

Which catcher was the first Nationals player admitted to the team's Ring of Honor?

Iván Rodríguez, who played 155 games for Washington in 2010 and 2011, was added in 2017 after his Cooperstown induction; critics noted his Hall of Fame career was built elsewhere.

Where did the Nationals hold spring training from 2005 through 2016, at a facility inherited from the Expos?

Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, inherited from the Expos, was the Nationals' spring home through 2016 before the move to West Palm Beach in 2017.