The franchise was originally founded in 1969 as the Montreal Expos, the first Major League Baseball team in Canada. 1)
The Expos moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005, bringing baseball back to the nation's capital after a 33-year absence. 2)
The Nationals played their first regular-season game on April 4, 2005, losing 8-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies. 3)
The team recorded its first win in franchise history on April 6, 2005, defeating the Phillies 7-3. 4)
Livan Hernandez threw the first pitch in Washington Nationals history during the 2005 season opener. 5)
Despite low expectations, the Nationals finished their inaugural 2005 season with a respectable .500 record (81-81). 6)
From 2005 to 2007, the Nationals played their home games at RFK Stadium, which was the former home of the Washington Senators. 7)
Ryan Zimmerman was the first player ever drafted by the Washington Nationals, selected 4th overall in 2005. 8)
Ryan Zimmerman earned the nickname “Mr. National” because he played his entire 16-year career with the team. 9)
In 2022, Ryan Zimmerman became the first player in team history to have his jersey number (#11) retired. 10)
The team moved into Nationals Park in 2008, with the first regular-season game played on March 30, 2008. 11)
Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off home run to win the very first game played at Nationals Park. 12)
Nationals Park cost approximately $693 million to construct. 13)
Nationals Park was the first major professional stadium in the United States to become LEED Silver Certified. 14)
Fans sitting in the upper deck on the first base side of Nationals Park can see the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. 15)
Stephen Strasburg was selected #1 overall in the 2009 MLB Draft and was considered the most hyped pitching prospect in history. 16)
In his major league debut in 2010, Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 batters and issued zero walks. 17)
Strasburg's 14 strikeouts set a franchise record for a debut and generated a high Game Score of 75. 18)
Bryce Harper was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2012. 19)
In 2015, Bryce Harper became the youngest player in MLB history to win the MVP award unanimously. 20)
Pitcher Max Scherzer threw two no-hitters for the Nationals during the 2015 season alone. 21)
While playing for Washington, Max Scherzer passed legendary pitcher Cy Young on the all-time strikeout list. 22)
Max Scherzer recorded 1,610 strikeouts during his tenure with the Nationals. 23)
A popular mid-game tradition is the “Presidents Race,” featuring mascots of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. 24)
Racing President “Teddy” lost every single race from the tradition's start in 2006 until finally winning in October 2012. 25)
William Howard Taft was added as a racing president character in 2013. 26)
The “visiting” presidents like Coolidge and Hoover were retired to the team's spring training facility in Florida. 27)
Stan Kasten served as the team's president after the franchise was sold by MLB to the Lerner family. 28)
The team is principally owned by the Lerner family, prominent real estate developers in the D.C. area. 29)
The Washington Nationals won their first World Series championship in 2019 by defeating the Houston Astros. 30)
The 2019 victory broke an 84-year championship drought for Washington D.C., the last title having been won by the Senators in 1924. 31)
The 2019 championship team began their season with a dismal 19-31 record in late May. 32)
Their 19-31 start is the worst 50-game start for any team that eventually won the World Series. 33)
In the 2019 World Series, the visiting team won all seven games, the first time this has happened in major North American sports history. 34)
Stephen Strasburg was named the 2019 World Series MVP after winning both of his starts against Houston. 35)
Stephen Strasburg became the first pitcher in MLB history to finish a single postseason with a 5-0 record. 36)
In the 2019 World Series, Juan Soto became the youngest player ever to hit a home run and steal a base in the same game. 37)
The team wore their navy blue alternate jerseys for all four of their World Series wins in 2019, considering them lucky. 38)
The 2019 Nationals are the only team in history to win three winner-take-all elimination games in a single postseason. 39)
On their way to the title, the Nationals swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2019 National League Championship Series. 40)
Manager Dave Martinez underwent a heart procedure during the 2019 season but returned to lead the team to the championship. 41)
The Nationals entered the 2019 playoffs as a Wild Card team, one of the few to win the World Series from that position. 42)
The franchise played 50 full seasons combined as the Expos and Nationals before winning its first pennant. 43)
Broadcaster Charlie Slowes is famous for his signature home run call: “Bang! Zoom! … That ball is gone!” 44)
The Nationals' “City Connect” uniforms feature cherry blossom petals, paying homage to the iconic D.C. trees. 45)