5 Most Legendary Nationals Starting Pitchers Of All Time
By Max Rayman
Who are the greatest starting pitchers in Washington Nationals’ history?
With the MLB Lockout in full swing, it has been a boring time. In the meantime, it is a perfect time to revisit some Nationals history. Our friends over at That Balls Outta Here started ranking the top five players in Phillies franchise at each position and we decided to follow suit.
Apologizes to the Montreal Expos, but for this series of articles, we decided to stick to Nationals history only (2005-Present). Since the Nationals have been home to impressive starting pitching, this list was easier to do than other positions.
Without further ado, the top five starting pitchers in Nationals history.
Honorable Mention: Tanner Roark, Liván Hernández
5. Jordan Zimmermann 2009-2015
During the Nationals’ run of dominance during the 2010s, the starting rotation was Washington’s driving force with Jordan Zimmermann a prominent member early on. A second-round pick in 2007, Zimmermann became a two-time All-Star while in D.C.
After joining the rotation in 2011, Zimmermann was a workhouse, averaging 32+ starts from 2012-2015. During the team’s last game of the 2014 season, he became the first Nationals pitcher to throw a no-hitter. In-Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS against the Giants, Zimmermann threw 8 2/3 innings, only allowing one run and sticking out six. But the bullpen blew the lead and the Nats lost in 18 innings.
He left after the 2015 season and struggled immensely with the Tigers. Across seven seasons with the Nats, he went 70-50, with a 3.32 ERA, 903 strikeouts, and a 3.40 FIP.