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⁾