Baseball Star Ryan Zimmerman of Washington Nationals Retires After 16 Seasons
A generation of MLB fans grew up watching the longtime face of the Washington franchise.
Zimmerman waving to fans at Nationals Park.
After 16 seasons playing for the Washington Nationals, "Mr. National," Ryan Zimmerman, announced on Tuesday his retirement from pro baseball. The 37-year-old two-time all star spent his entire MLB career with the Washington Nationals and helped the team win a narrow World Series victory over the Houston Astros in 2019.
Zimmerman was drafted in 2005, the same year the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, DC, and became the Nationals. Zimmerman, fresh off the 2004 roster for the USA Baseball National Team, was the Nationals' first pick in the 2005 draft. He played for Washington for the next 15 seasons straight, becoming an ever-present fan favorite.
Zimmerman decided not to play in the Major League Baseball season in 2020 out of concern for his family's health during the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned in the 2021 season and finished the year with a .241 batting average.
According to ESPN, Zimmerman retires as the Nationals' career leader in games played (1,799), runs scored (963), home runs (284), hits (1,846), total bases (3,159), doubles (417) and RBIs (1,061).
The longtime Nationals favorite retires with a career batting average of .277.