Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman needs to come back to climb all-time lists

After opting-out of the 2020 season, Ryan Zimmerman needs to sign another contract so he can sit atop even more Washington Nationals all-time lists.

After the conclusion of the World Series, we’ll be counting down the hours until free agency begins. The Washington Nationals have a few spots to fill, as well as a few free agents of their own to decide whether or not to bring back. Ryan Zimmerman is one of those free agents.

Zimmerman didn’t sign last year until the waning days of January, allowing the Nationals to lock down other needs before making official what everyone knew was going to happen.

When Zimmerman opted out of the 2020 season, Nationals fans were hoping he would come back for the 2021 season. Mr. National himself, deserves a going away party. He deserves to parade around Nationals Park with his World Series ring on his finger and take a curtain call at the end of the year as he rides off into the sunset the right way.

He would be the last one to tell you statistics matter, but while he’s coming back he might as well pencil his name into the top spot of a few more all-time records in franchise history.

Zimmerman is already the franchise leader (history is shared with the Montreal Expos, mind you) in several categories, including hits, doubles, home runs (although he could add to this total so it takes longer for Juan Soto to catch him), runs batted in and total bases.

There are several more he can catapult to the top of the list on, even as a part-time player.

Needing just 79 games to pass Tim Wallach for most played in franchise history.

Zimmerman would need just 44 games at 3 at-bats a game to have the most at-bats in franchise history. He needs just 45 plate appearances to overtake Tim Wallach in this category.

With 12 runs scored and 73 singles, he will move to the top of the leaderboard in those categories, removing Tim Raines from the top spots, respectively.

Four sacrifice flies would tie Zimmerman with Andre Dawson for most in history, though Zimmerman as only accounted for four in the last two years. Manageable nonetheless.

Having obtained a lot of individual milestones recently (400 doubles and 1000 runs batted in) it’s just time for Zimmerman to climb that ladder a little higher and sit atop the perch in some franchise categories.

Statistics are meaningless in the big scheme of things, though fun to look at. Ryan Zimmerman will always be the face of the newly formed (okay 15 years-old) franchise. He deserves some circumstance with that pomp, as he heads into retirement the right way.