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 careers while playing for that club.
These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only.
Here is Jessica Camerato’s ranking of the top five center fielders in Nationals/Expos history.
1. Andre Dawson, Expos (1976-86)
Key fact: Dawson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010.
Dawson’s star-studded, 21-year career began with his first 11 seasons on the Expos. He quickly made a strong impression as a Major League player by winning the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year Award. From there, the accolades poured in.
Dawson earned six consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1980-85, and he was named to the All-Star team three straight seasons (1981-83). During that time, Dawson also won a Silver Slugger Award in '80, ‘81 and ‘83, as well as finishing second in NL Most Valuable Player of the Year Award voting in '81 and '83. (He would go on to win the NL MVP Award in ‘87 as a member of the Cubs.)
Dawson was a reliable producer at the plate. As a snapshot, he topped the NL in hits and total bases in 1983, and he was first in all of baseball in extra-base hits that year. Defensively, Dawson led NL center fielders in putouts in '81 and '83 and assists in '78 and '81, while ranking in the top five in fielding percentage in '77, '78, '80 and '83.
Among franchise center fielders, Dawson appeared in the most games at the position. In total, he slashed .280/.326/.476 with an .802 OPS, 225 home runs and a 122 OPS+ with Montreal.
The Expos retired Dawson's No. 10 in 1997.
2. Marquis Grissom, Expos (1989-94)
Key fact: Grissom was named Expos Player of the Year by the BBWAA in 1993.
The speedy Grissom was a threat on the basepaths for the Expos. He led the Major Leagues in stolen bases from 1991-92, stealing a total of 266 while playing in Montreal -- the second most in franchise history.
Grissom earned his two All-Star selections in 1993 and '94. He also won Gold Glove Awards those seasons, finishing first in putouts among National League center fielders in ‘94.
Over his six seasons with the Expos, Grissom hit .279/.331/.405.
In 1995, the Expos traded Grissom to Atlanta, where he won a World Series that year. He would go on to be named the ‘97 American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player with Cleveland.
3. Denard Span, Nationals (2013-15)
Key fact: Span put together a 29-game hitting streak in 2013, the longest streak of that season.
Span played only 361 games for the Nats and made an impression during that time. In his first season in '13, he led the team with 170 hits. The following year, he topped the NL in hits (184), while also pacing Washington in batting average (.302) and stolen bases (31).
Span was aggressive defensively. In 2013, he was one of five outfielders in all of baseball to record a 1.000 fielding percentage. He followed that up by leading NL outfielders with 377 putouts in '14.
Span, who played 11 Major League seasons, hit .292/.345/.404 with the Nationals.
4. Victor Robles, Nationals (2017-24)
Key fact: Robles is a two-time Gold Glove Award finalist (2019, ‘22)
When Robles was at his best in center field, he was electric. Robles posted a 1.000 fielding percentage with 30 putouts during the Nationals' 2019 World Series run. He caught the final outs to clinch the NL Wild Card spot and later in the NLCS to advance to the World Series. Robles started in center field in all seven World Series games.
During his tenure, Robles slashed .236/.311/.356 with 31 home runs and 70 stolen bases in 530 games for the Nationals. A series of injuries hampered his final seasons in Washington. He was designated for assignment by the Nats in late May 2024.
5. Michael A. Taylor, Nationals (2014-20)
Key fact: Taylor hit an inside-the-park grand slam in a five-RBI performance in 2017.
Taylor, a 2009 Draft pick, came up with clutch moments on the largest stage: the postseason.
In the 2017 NLDS, Taylor hit a grand slam and a three-run homer, en route to eight RBIs. Two seasons later, he homered in the NLCS and the World Series. Taylor posted a 1.010 OPS during the Nationals championship run.
Taylor announced his retirement from baseball in 2025 as a member of the White Sox – during their series at Nationals Park.