No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only!
Here is Jessica Camerato’s ranking of the top five catchers in Nationals/Expos franchise history.
1. Gary Carter, 1974-84, '92 (Expos)
Key fact: Played outfield early in MLB career before becoming a Hall of Fame catcher
Carter, who manned the plate for the Expos for 12 seasons, leads this list. By the time his tenure with Montreal concluded, he had amassed 1,427 hits, 823 RBIs, 220 home runs and 707 runs, with a slash line of .269/.342/.454 over 1,503 games. He also earned seven All-Star selections (six consecutive as an Expo), two All-Star Game MVP Awards, three Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger Awards with Montreal.
Carter sits atop the team’s fWAR for catchers at 53.8. When it comes to his place among all of the franchise's players, Carter ranks first in overall WAR among position players (55.8 compared to Tim Raines’ 49.2) and first in defensive WAR leaders (21.6 compared to Tim Wallach’s 11.7). He is fourth all-time in home runs, RBIs and extra-base hits, and fifth in hits and runs.
Carter’s storied career spanned 19 years. He went on to play for the Mets, Giants and Dodgers before returning to Montreal to play his final season. Carter appeared in the fourth-most games at catcher (2,056), behind only Ivan Rodriguez (2,427), Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Bob Boone (2,225). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Carter passed away in 2012.
2. Wilson Ramos, 2010-16 (Nationals)
Key fact: Ramos' .268 batting average ranks just behind Carter (.269) for the second-highest among the franchise's catchers
Ramos began his tenure with the Nats batting .267 and reached .307 in his final season with the team. That year, he earned an All-Star Game selection and a Silver Slugger Award.
Defensively, Ramos finished second in putouts among NL catchers in 2015 and '16, second in NL catcher fielding percentage (.997) in '16 and third in NL catcher assists (77) in '15.
Over 578 games with the Nationals, Ramos recorded 566 hits, 320 RBIs and 83 homers while slashing .268/.313/.430. He ranks second among Washington’s catchers with 10.6 bWAR.
3. Yan Gomes, 2019-21/Kurt Suzuki, 2012-13, ’19-20 (Nationals)
Key fact: Veteran duo helped Nats win their first World Series in 2019
It’s not the number of seasons Gomes and Suzuki played for the Nationals or their individual stats in a Nats uniform, but it’s what they accomplished that earns them a spot on this list.
In the 2019 postseason, they combined to catch 153 innings through Game 7 of the World Series. They were charged with a total of just two errors while Nats pitching posted a 3.47 ERA. During the World Series against the Astros, Gomes and Suzuki worked closely with pitchers to communicate five sets of signs.
4. Ivan Rodriguez, 2010-11 (Nationals)
Key fact: Was behind the plate for Stephen Strasburg's MLB debut on June 8, 2010, when the 21-year-old fanned 14
Like the No. 3 selection of Gomes and Suzuki, Rodriguez is on this list for his impact in such a short period of time. Rodriguez played for the Nats in the final two seasons of his 21-year Hall of Fame career. In his age-38 and 39 seasons, he spent time with a young Strasburg, imparting his long history of wisdom to the pitcher.
In 2010 -- his 20th season -- Rodriguez ranked fifth among NL catchers with a .995 fielding percentage. He contributed 133 hits and 68 RBIs over 155 games.
5. Keibert Ruiz, 2022-present (Nationals)
Key fact: Signed an eight-year contract extension in 2023
After battling through multiple concussions, Ruiz returned in 2026 with significant offensive improvements. He boasted a career-best slash line (.280/.316/.443) and improved his OPS from .595 to .759.
Ruiz has belted 52 home runs in six seasons with Washington, trailing only Ramos in homers by a Nationals catcher.