Who makes the Washington Nationals' Mount Rushmore of Pitchers?

In case you are unfamiliar with the concept of completing a Mount Rushmore, over the next few days, I will be selecting 4 players to make the Washington Nationals' Mount Rushmore of pitchers, hitters, and players overall. I'm sure that my choices will be completely agreed upon by everyone reading this and there will be zero disagreements at all...(sarcasm).

All 4 of these selections made the All-Time Washington Nationals team that I composed back in January, so check that out if you haven't yet!

1. Max Scherzer (2015-2021)

The easy 1.1 choice for the Nationals' Mount Rushmore has to go to righty Max Scherzer. After signing with the Nats in the 2015 offseason, all Mad Max did with the club was validate every single cent of that contract by becoming maybe the best free agent signing in MLB history. Between 2 Cy Young awards, 6 All-Star appearances, a pair of no-hitters, and a 20 strikeout game, Scherzer provided Nats fans with a lifetime of memories, and of course started Game 7 of the 2019 World Series win over the Astros.

In total, he had a 92-47 record with a 2.80 ERA and 0.962 WHIP in 189 starts for the Nationals. When he eventually decides to hang up the cleats he should be the first plaque in Cooperstown to have the Curly W logo on his hat. If only Jose Tabata hadn't leaned into that hit by pitch, and he would have the only perfect game in club history as well.

2. Stephen Strasburg (2010-2022)

The second choice for the Mount Rushmore of pitching was another true shoe-in candidate. Righty Stephen Strasburg, a true National for life, is the only one whose overall statistics and accolades with the club that can rival those of Scherzer. Despite the troubles he had with injuries that plagued the entirety of his career, Strasburg is a true Nationals legend, and his #37 will surely never be worn again in the history of the Washington Nationals. The true peak of his career was winning the World Series MVP in 2019, and he cemented his legacy as arguably one of the greatest pitcher in Postseason history with that performance.

In total, Strasburg had a 113-62 record with a 3.24 ERA, 1.096 WHIP in 247 starts across 13 different seasons for the Nationals. He made the All-Star team 3 times, won a Silver Slugger award as a pitcher, and finished Top 5 in NL Cy Young voting twice and Top 10 another 2 times.

3. Gio Gonzalez (2012-2018)

As for the first of our last two spots on the Mount Rushmore of pitching for the Nationals, we have our only lefty inclusion with Gio Gonzalez. He was a great but somewhat inconsistent pitcher with the franchise from 2012-2018, but provided the franchise with a number of great seasons. His 2012 season was truly magical, as he went 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA and 1.129 WHIP, helping lead the club to their first playoff appearance in franchise history.

In his 7 years with the club, Gio had a 131-101 record with a 3.62 ERA and 1.283 WHIP in 213 starts. He was an All-Star in 2012 and finished 3rd in Cy Young voting that season, and also had a 6th place finish in 2017.

4. Jordan Zimmermann (2009-2015)

The final selection for the Nats' Mount Rushmore of pitching came down to Jordan Zimmermann and Livan Hernandez. While Livan was a staple of some pretty brutal Nats teams and didn't have the numbers he should have due to the lack of true threats in the lineup, Zimmermann earned the edge because of how great his peak was with the club. He led the National League in wins with 19 in 2013, but was even better in 2014 as he lowered his ERA from 3.25 to 2.66 between the two seasons. His signature moment was throwing a no-hitter in Game 162 of the 2014 season, and "JZ" will always be a true club legend.

In his 7 seasons with the club, Zimmermann had a 70-50 record with a 3.32 ERA and 1.159 WHIP across 178 starts. He also was a 2-time All-Star and finished Top-7 in NL Cy Young voting twice.

What do you think of my Washington Nationals Mount Rushmore of Pitching? Is there anyone you would have included instead? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.