The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team that compete in MLB's National League East division. The club play their home games at Nationals Park in Washington DC.
📜 Washington Nationals History
The franchise known today as the Washington Nationals began life as the Montreal Expos in 1969. After failing to secure funding for a new stadium, the Expos relocated to Washington DC in 2005 and took on the "Nationals" moniker. In doing so, the Nationals became the first MLB team to play in the US Capital since the Washington Senators left for Texas in 1971.
Following some initial struggles, the Nationals enjoyed a period of success in the 2010s. Led by #1 overall draft picks, and future superstars, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, the team earned its first postseason berth in 2010, before winning a first division title in 2012. Three more National League East titles followed between 2014–2017, but it was 2019 when the franchise reached baseball's summit, winning their first World Series with victory against the Houston Astros.
After trading away a number of key players responsible for their World Series triumph, the Nationals began a period of rebuilding in the early 2020s. In 2022, after 23-year-old phenom Juan Soto turned down a blockbuster contract offer from the Nationals, the team traded him to the San Diego Padres for one of the largest returns in MLB history. Boosted by the future stars the Nats received in this trade, the franchise hopes to return to the top of the game and mount a challenge for their second World Series.
