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 5 starting left-handed pitchers in Nationals/Expos franchise history.
1. Gio Gonzalez, Nationals (2012-18)
Key fact: The first pitcher to record his 1,000th career strikeout while playing for the Nationals.
Gonzalez made an immediate impact when he was acquired from the Athletics for the Nationals' franchise-high, 98-win 2012 season. That year, he led all of baseball with a career-best 21 W’s -- the top single-season mark in franchise history. Gonzalez also paced Major League Baseball with a 2.82 FIP and 0.4 home runs per nine innings. His overall 21-8, 2.89 ERA performance in 32 starts (including two complete games) with 207 strikeouts earned him his second straight All-Star selection and third place in National League Cy Young Award voting.
In seven seasons with the Nats, Gonzalez went 86-65 with a 3.62 ERA. He leads all Nationals left-handers with 1,215 strikeouts and 213 starts. At the plate, Gonzalez homered in three consecutive seasons (2012-14). He also appeared in four postseasons for Washington, starting in eight games (0-0) and accumulating 27 strikeouts and a 4.91 ERA over 29 1/3 innings.
2. Patrick Corbin, Nationals (2019-2024)
Key fact: Corbin earned the win in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series while pitching out of the bullpen.
Corbin was repeatedly lauded by then-manager Dave Martinez for “taking the ball every five days.” In six seasons, Corbin made 170 starts for the Nationals. His best year was 2019, when he went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA. Overall, Corbin was 47-44 with a 5.11 ERA in 946 2/3 innings in Washington.
Corbin’s 2019 regular-season performance was a buildup to the Nationals' World Series championship run. He made three starts and five appearances out of the bullpen (2-3, 5.79 ERA). In a standout Game 4 NL Championship Series performance -- in which he reached the 200-strikeout mark -- he fanned 12 Cardinals batters in just five innings. With that, Corbin became the first pitcher in Major League playoff history to strike out 12 without tossing more than five frames. He notably earned the win in Game 7 after throwing three scoreless innings in relief.
3. Jeff Fassero, Expos (1991-96)
Key fact: Fassero recorded a career-high 222 strikeouts in 1996.
Fassero began his Major League career at age 28 out of the Expos' bullpen. He worked his way into the rotation and became Montreal’s Opening Day starter from 1994-96.
Fassero led the Expos in wins (15 in '96), ERA (2.99 in '94, 3.30 in '96) and strikeouts (140 in '93, 222 in '96) during his tenure as a starter. On Aug. 11, 1996, against the Cubs, he fanned 14 batters over eight innings. That remains the franchise mark for most strikeouts in a game by a left-handed pitcher.
During his six years with the Expos, he was 58-48 with a 3.20 ERA over 100 starts.
4. Carlos Pérez, Expos (1995-98)
Key fact: Pérez earned an All-Star selection as a rookie.
Pérez began his Major League career in 1995 with a splash -- a 10-8 record and 3.69 ERA that garnered an All-Star nod. He missed the following season because of injury, and returned in ‘97 to throw a Major League-best five shutouts. With that mark, he is tied for the most shutouts in a season in franchise history.
Pérez made 23 starts in 1998 before being traded to the Dodgers mid-season. In three years with the Expos, he was 29-31 with a 3.78 ERA over 78 starts.
5. Mark Langston, Expos (1989)
Key fact: Langston's 2.39 ERA in 1989 is the third-lowest in franchise history.
Langston arrived in Montreal via one of the franchise’s memorable trades. On May 25, 1989, the Expos acquired him in a deal that sent future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson to the Mariners. Langston would only play the remainder of that season with the Expos before signing with the Angels as a free agent, but he made a strong showing in a short time.
That year, Langston was 12-9 and led the Expos with a 2.39 ERA and 175 strikeouts, in spite of starting in the fifth-most games (24). His 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings also topped all NL pitchers.