With the Washington Nationals coming up to the end of another sub-.500 season, the time is now to begin looking towards the future. The organization is already doing that with some big moves like shifting CJ Abrams to second base and bringing up younger guys like Jackson Kent to replace ineffective veterans like Miles Mikolas or Zack Littell.
But as we move closer to September, it's time for us to begin wondering who will end up getting the call to the big leagues as extra support for the Nationals during the stretch run. Will it be Seaver King getting his first cup of coffee in the majors, or even an extra arm like Luis Perales? We do not know yet, but let's take a look back at the 3 best September call-ups in Nationals history.
1) Ryan Zimmerman
What would this list be without "Mr. National," the first player ever drafted by the Washington Nationals since the team's move to DC? He made his debut on September 1, 2005, coming into the game as a pinch hitter, just a few months after being selected out of the University of Virginia. Ryan Zimmerman, of course, is best known for playing his entire career with the Nationals, his clutch hitting, and being the first player in Washington Nationals history to have his number retired since the team moved from Montreal.
It all began when he came up in September of 2005 and held a .988 OPS across 62 plate appearances to help kickstart what would be a legendary career, and helped show the league that he would be one of the best players at the hot corner for years to come. Zimmerman played for the Nationals from 2005 through 2021. He will forever remain a Nationals' fan favorite, and of course, a World Series Champion in 2019, an accomplishment that he so well deserved for his dedication to the Nationals for his entire career.
2) Ian Desmond
Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2004 MLB Draft, Ian Desmond made his debut with the Washington Nationals on September 10, 2009. "Desi" became a fan favorite over his seven years with the Washington Nationals, and played well at the shortstop position for years. He came up and flashed right away, with 4 homers and 12 RBIs over 89 plate appearances as he put up an .879 OPS in that brief audition.
During Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter (which I happened to attend) on September 28, 2014, Ian Desmond hit a home run, the game's lone run. "Desi" played for the Nationals for seven seasons. During his tenure with the Nationals, he hit 110 of his 181 career home runs, drove in 432 runs, and hit for a .264 average. Like Ryan Zimmerman, Desmond was a clutch hitter and delivered when the Nationals needed him to come through.
3) Victor Robles
Called up in September of 2017, Victor Robles spent parts of eight seasons with the Washington Nationals from 2017 through 2024, when he was designated for assignment and signed a major league deal with the Seattle Mariners. Robles was a member of the 2019 World Series Championship team. As a member of the Nats, he hit 31 home runs, drove in 156 runs, and hit to a .236 average.
Robles, who was a consensus top 10 prospect in all of baseball, was supposed to be the better prospect between him and Juan Soto once upon a time, and was thought of as being close to Ronald Acuna Jr. in prospect conversations. He flashed as well after briefly debuting in 2017 with a .766 OPS, but really had fans excited during a 21-game stint in 2018. In that second September call-up, he held an .874 OPS to go along with 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 3 stolen abses in 66 plate appearances, showcasing tremendous 5-tool upside.
Reflection
As September is coming up and September call-ups start to happen, we must realize the Nationals don't have much of a history of superstars getting called up in September, as most of their important players who have played for the team, such as Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Juan Soto, have been called up in the middle of the season.
Still, there have been some fan favorites who have been September call-ups, and I hope this list gave you insight into a few of the key late-season call-ups that have been made by the Nats since their move to DC in 2005.
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