Nats' Top 5 homegrown Draft picks

Every year, Major League teams draft players hoping they will make an impact on their success -- that kind of future star that can bring championships to an organization. From players who helped the Nationals get to the playoffs to those who helped them win the World Series, take a look at their top five homegrown Draft picks in team history (2005-present).

1. Ryan Zimmerman
Draft: 2005, No. 4 overall
bWAR: 40.1

The face of the franchise, Zimmerman became the Nationals’ first Draft pick when the team relocated to Washington, D.C., in 2005. Zimmerman slashed .277/.341/.475 with an .816 OPS in 1,799 games across 16 seasons. He memorably belted the Nationals’ first World Series home run in franchise history in '19, and he retired as the franchise (Nationals/Expos) leader in games played, hits, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, home runs and total bases.

Zimmerman became the first player in team history to have his number retired, forever recognizing Employee No. 11.

“When you look up that No. 11, I hope it gives you the same feeling I get inside,” an emotional Zimmerman told the crowd at Nationals Park during the ceremony. “You should, because it’s as much yours as it is mine.”

2. Stephen Strasburg
Draft: 2009, No. 1 overall
bWAR: 32.3

The Nationals knew they were landing a standout talent when they selected Strasburg with the first pick in the 2009 Draft. Ten years later, he became the World Series Most Valuable Player Award winner. Strasburg was 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA in 1,470 innings across 13 seasons, all with Washington, before injuries ended his career. Of all of his accomplishments, the three-time All-Star shined the brightest in the playoffs, where he became the first pitcher to go 5-0 in a single postseason during the Nationals’ 2019 World Series run.

“He’s been near and dear to my heart,” then-general manager Mike Rizzo said at the time. “He’s grown so much as a person and as a pitcher. When we first drafted him, he was a stuff guy, more of a thrower than a pitcher. Now, he’s a complete pitcher, a pillar in our community and a leader on this ballclub -- a guy we lean on in critical situations.”

3. Anthony Rendon
Draft: 2011, No. 6 overall
bWAR (with Nationals): 30.3

Rendon was a driving force behind Washington’s first championship in 2019, following a regular season in which he batted .319 and drove in a team-record 126 RBIs. That year, he hit three homers in the playoffs, including two in the World Series. In seven seasons with the Nationals from 2013-19, Rendon slashed .290/.369/.490 with an .859 OPS. As of 2026, he still held the club's single-season RBI record (126 in ‘19).

4. Bryce Harper
Draft: 2010, No. 1 overall
bWAR (with Nationals): 27.7

Harper burst into the Majors two years after the Nationals selected him with the first pick in the 2010 Draft, and he made his presence known immediately. He won the '12 Rookie of the Year Award (the youngest position player to do so), earned an All-Star selection and received MVP votes that season. He helped propel the Nats to their first playoff appearance the same year, for a total of four postseason berths. Just three years later, he was named the National League MVP in '15. Harper slashed .279/.388/.512 and garnered six All-Star nods over seven seasons.

5. Jordan Zimmermann
Draft: 2007, second round
bWAR (with Nationals): 19.5

Zimmermann’s seven years in Washington were headlined by throwing the first no-hitter in Nationals history in the 2014 regular-season finale. He posted a 70-50 record and a 3.32 ERA over 178 starts, including eight complete games and four shutouts with Washington. Zimmermann topped the NL in wins (19) in '13, and he earned back-to-back All-Star selections in '13-14.