Washington Nationals: Top 10 homegrown players in team history

5. Jordan Zimmermann

A second-round pick in 2007, the Nats always had big plans for Jordan Zimmermann. They were put on hold when he was forced to undergo Tommy John Surgery shortly after debuting in 2009, but he still had an extremely successful tenure with the Nats.

In Zimmermann’s seven seasons with the Nats, he pitched to a 3.32 ERA and was a mainstay near the front of the starting rotation. His tremendous Nats tenure included being a two-time All-Star, leading the National League in wins, and pitching a no-hitter.

Zimmermann was also a workhorse for the Nats, as the fewest innings he threw after recovering from Tommy John Surgery was 195.2. He rarely got the attention he deserved, while pitching among the likes of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez, but he was arguably the most consistent out of all of them.

Although Zimmermann departed in free agency to move closer to his home in Wisconsin, we may not have seen the last of his days donning the curly W. He has struggled during his time with the Tigers, and there have been rumors that they will attempt to trade him as part of their rebuild.

Considering the Nats’ need for a starting pitcher, they have been connected to him in trade rumors. A reunion certainly makes sense, and is completely possible.

However, even if Zimmermann never throws another pitch for the Nats, he is the fifth-best homegrown player in team history.