Washington Nationals: Remembering Alfonso Soriano’s 2006 Season
By Max Rayman
Alfonso Soriano may have only played one season in D.C., but oh man, did he put on a show.
At the start of the 2006 season, also known as the beginning of the dark ages for D.C. baseball, the Rangers traded Soriano to Washington.
Manager Frank Robinson shifted the power-hitting second basemen to leftfield, which Soriano was vehemently against. But come Opening Day, Soriano was thriving in left. From the jump, he was flashing his cannon of an arm and he finished the season with 22 outfield assists, 18 DRS, and a 6.6 UZR.
Offensively, Soriano was a one-man wrecking crew, launching moonshot after moonshot. And if he didn’t hit the ball out of the park, Soriano was causing havoc on the basepaths. He was named to his fifth straight All-Star game and became the fastest player in MLB history to record 200 homers and 200 stolen bases, accomplishing this in 929 games.
By August, Soriano had recorded his fourth 30/30 season and had thrust himself into the NL MVP conversation. Despite Soriano’s heroics at the plate, Washington was one of the worst teams in the league due to a starting rotation that failed to have anyone post an ERA under 4.80 (minimum 80 innings).
The bullpen didn’t fare much better, with only one reliever (minimum 40 innings) posting a FIP under 4.00. Offensively, it was up to Soriano, Nick Johnson, and Ryan Zimmerman to lead the way. The trio each recorded 20+ homers, 75+ RBIs, and an OPS over .800.
During the 2002 season with the Yankees, Soriano was one homer shy of joining the 40/40 club, but he was able to redeem himself with the NAts. On September 16, he stole his 40th base, joining A-Rod, Jose Canseco, and Barry Bonds in the 40/40 club.
In front of a raucous Nationals home crowd, the umpire called timeout as the fans gave Soriano a standing ovation. The ump then allowed the speedster to keep the base as a memento to him reaching the milestone.
As the season winded down to a close, Soriano fell out of the MVP race and eventually finished in 6th. He set career highs in homers (46), OBP (.351), SLG (.560), OPS (.911), OPS+ (135), and walks. Soriano also set the Nationals franchise record for homers. On the season he hit .277, with 46 homers, 95 RBIs, and an OPS of .911.
Washington attempted to re-sign the slugger, offering him a $70 million extension, but he turned it down and later signed with the Cubs on an eight-year deal worth nearly $136 million. Regardless of only playing in D.C. for a year, he left a lasting impression on the fanbase and put on a performance that has yet to be replicated.