Washington Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman’s 2017 report card

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman enjoyed a tremendous bounce-back season in 2017. What grade does his All-Star campaign deserve?

A Virginia-native, Ryan Zimmerman was the Washington Nationals‘ first draft pick when they returned to DC in 2005. He broke into the league that season and almost immediately became the face of the franchise.

Then, injuries began to catch up to him and even forced him to move from third base to first base. He struggled through the injuries, and the fan-favorite began to lose the honor of being the face of the franchise. With rising stars, such as Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, it was hard for him to remain the face of the franchise while struggling.

Entering 2017, the Nationals knew that Zimmerman’s productive years may be behind him, so they signed Adam Lind to be the back-up first baseman. Lind would serve as a great bat off the bench, but could also become the permanent starter if Zimmerman struggled or got hurt.

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With Lind backing him up and fans beginning to give up on him, Zimmerman remained healthy and had what was perhaps the best season of his career.

In a league with Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto, and Anthony Rizzo, the 33-year-old Zimmerman was arguably the best first baseman in the league. At the All-Star Break, Zimmerman was hitting .330 with 19 homers, leading to him being named the starting first baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game.

Although he regressed a bit in the second half, Zimmerman still had a phenomenal season overall. When all was said and done, he had a .303/.358/.573 slash line to go with his 36 homers and 108 RBI’s. That’s not bad for a supposedly washed up first baseman.

While Zimmerman was already honored as the starting first baseman in the All-Star Game, more honors are sure to come. He appears to be a near-lock for National League Comeback Player of the Year and he probably will not win, but he will also be in the conversation for National League Most Valuable Player and Silver Slugger among National League first basemen.

When the regular season ended, Zimmerman’s production did not. The lasting image of Zimmerman’s season and the Nationals’ season overall came during game two of the NLDS against the Cubs.

The Cubs had won game one, essentially making game two a must-win for the Nats. They trailed for most of the game and appeared to be on the brink of elimination, but then Bryce Harper crushed a game-tying homer in the eighth inning.

A few batters later, Zimmerman stepped up needing just a single to plate the go-ahead run from second, but did even more. Mike Montgomery left a change-up up and over the heart of the plate, which Zimmerman crushed for a go-ahead three-run homer, capping a five-run eighth inning for the Nats.

Although the Nats eventually lost the series, Zimmerman’s heroics turned the series around and saved the Nats’ season for the time being.

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Ryan Zimmerman had a fantastic bounce-back season in 2017, leading the Nats to their fourth division title in six years. If he is able to have a similar season in 2018, perhaps he can lead them to their first postseason series win. After a great season, Zimmerman earns a perfect A.