MLB Top 5: Washington Nationals Pitchers

This is the fifth and final article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the Washington Nationals. In this installment are right- and left-handed starting pitchers as well as relievers.

The Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals have had many talented pitchers take the mound in the franchise’s 57-year history. The group of right-handed starters is formidable and features pitchers who have won Cy Young Awards and championships, thrown no-hitters and were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The best Pitchers in Washington Nationals History

Right-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Charlie Lea was drafted four times before finally signing with the Expos. The French-born starter joined Montreal in 1980, and in a game against the Giants in May of the following season, he threw the third no-hitter in franchise history. Beginning in 1982, Lea posted three straight seasons with double-digit victories, culminating in his only All-Star selection after going 15-10 with a 2.89 earned run average in 1984. He missed the next two years due to rotator cuff issues and returned to make one start in 1987. Lea signed with the Twins for what turned out to be his final season, and he ended his Expos career with a 55-41 record and a 3.32 ERA in 121 starts to go with 22 complete games (tied for eighth in franchise history) and eight shutouts (tied for fourth). He passed away from a heart attack in 2011 at age 54.

Bryn Smith turned a promising youth baseball career and a 49th round selection by the Cardinals in 1973 into a 13-year major league career. Four years after his selection, he was traded to the Expos, and four years after that he made his big-league debut. Smith posted double-digit victories in the final six of his nine seasons in Montreal (1981-89). His best season by far came in 1985, when he went 18-5 with a 2.91 earned run average. Although Smith never made an All-Star team, he finished his career ranked fourth in franchise history in innings (1,400 1/3), tied for fourth in shutouts (eighth), sixth in wins (81-71) and starts (193) and tenth in strikeouts (838) to go with a 3,28 ERA and 20 compete games. He signed with the Cardinals in late 1989 and spent three years in St. Louis before playing his final season with the expansion team in Colorado. Smyth is currently the oldest living player who appeared in a game for the Rockies.

Livan Hernandez and his brother, Orlando, were Cuban defectors who both carved out successful major league careers. Livan signed with the Marlins in 1996 and made a name for himself the following year, earning Most Valuable Player honors for both the NLCS and the World Series, helping the Marlins win their first championship. As with the others stars of that team, his time in South Florida was short and he was dealt to San Francisco less than two years later. Hernandez struggled with consistency with the Giants, but found his footing with the Expos, posting double-digit win totals three straight years and earning two All-Star selections despite the tumult of the team splitting two seasons between Montreal and Puerto Rico, then moving to Washington, D.C. He was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2006 and bounced around to three other teams before finding his way back to the Nationals in 2009. Hernandez won 10 games the following year, but his career was winding down. He split 2012 between the Braves and Brewers and ended his time in the Nation’s Capital ranked fifth in franchise history in starts (197), sixth in innings (1,317), seventh in complete games (23), tied for eighth in wins (70-72) and ninth in strikeouts (840) to go with a 3.98 earned run average. Despite making more than $50 million during his playing career, Hernandez squandered most of that thanks to a gambling habit, and he has also been tied to a money laundering scandal in the last decade.

Jordan Zimmermann is a Wisconsin native who was selected in the second round by the Nationals in 2007. He came through the system as a highly ranked prospect and soon moved into Washington’s rotation. Zimmerman amassed a double-digit win total four times and made two All-Star teams. His best season was 2013, when he led the league with 19 wins and two shutouts to go with a 3.25 earned run average. The following year, Zimmermann finished fifth in the Cy Young voting thanks to a 14-5 record, career-best totals of 182 strikeouts and a 2.66 ERA. In the final start of the season, he shut down the Marlins for the franchise’s fifth no-hitter and the first since the team moved to Washington. Zimmermann signed with the Tigers in 2016, ending his seven-year run with the Nationals ranked seventh in franchise history in strikeouts (903), tied for eighth in wins (70-50) and tenth in starts (178) to go with a 3.32 ERA and 1,094 innings. He spent five seasons with Detroit and one with Milwaukee before retiring in 2021.

5B Bill Stoneman – He was a 32nd round pick of the Cubs in 1966 and was primarily used out of the bullpen in Chicago before he was picked up by Montreal in the expansion draft. Stoneman became a star for the young team, winning 11 games and striking out 185 batters in the club’s first year. He also set a record by throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies in just the ninth game in franchise history. Stoneman posted a 3.14 earned run average and set career highs with 17 wins, 19 complete games (tied for team record), 251 strikeouts and 294 2/3 innings (second in team history) in 1971. He followed that with his only All-Star selection after winning 12 games, amassing a 2.98 ERA and throwing his second no-hitter, this one against the Mets and was also the first thrown in Canada. Stoneman finished his career with the Angels in 1974. In five seasons in Montreal (1969-73), he ranks second in franchise history in complete games (45) and shutouts (15) to go with a 51-72 record, a 3.98 ERA and 831 strikeouts in 1,085 1/3 innings over 156 starts. Following his playing career, Stoneman worked at a bank and later became general manager with the Expos and Angels.

5A Dennis Martinez – The native of Nicaragua spent the first decade of his major league career in Baltimore, winning 108 games, including a league-high 14 in the strike-shortened 1981 season while also being a part of the 1983 championship team. Martinez was traded to the Expos in 1986 and posted double-digit win totals in each of his seven full seasons in Montreal. He had his best season in 1991, when he finished fifth in the Cy Young race after winning 14 games and leading the league with a 2.39 earned run average, nine complete games and five shutouts. Martinez also threw a game for the ages, stopping the Dodgers for the 13th perfect game in major league history and the first by a Latin American pitcher.

“El Presidente” was a three-time All-Star in Montreal before he signed with the Indians, finishing his eight-year Expos tenure (1986-93) ranked second in franchise history in innings (1,609), third in wins (100-72), starts (233), complete games (41) and shutouts (13, with his 1991 total tying the team record), tied for fifth in ERA (3.06) and sixth in strikeouts (973). After three years in Cleveland, Martinez spent a year each with Seattle and Atlanta. He retired with 245 career victories in 23 seasons, the most by a Latin American pitcher at the time. Martinez lasted just one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 16 votes in 2004.

4. Pedro Martinez – He grew up with his five siblings in a house with a tin roof and a dirt floor in the Dominican Republic. He followed his older brother, Ramon, carrying his bags at Dodgers camp in his home country and eventually getting signed by the club himself in 1988. Martinez showed promise as a reliever in Los Angeles, but his career began to take off after a trade to Montreal for second baseman Delino DeShields in 1994. He won 11 games for a team that had the best record in baseball at the time of the players’ strike, the won 14 more the following year. Martinez earned his first All-Star selection in 1996 when he recorded 222 strikeouts, then followed that performance by winning the Cy Young Award after going 17-8, setting club records with 305 strikeouts and a 1.90 earned run average and leading the league with 13 complete games. He was traded to the Red Sox in late 1997, finishing his Expos tenure tied for fourth in franchise history in shutouts (eight), tied for fifth in ERA (3.06) and eighth in strikeouts (943) to go with a 55-33 record and 20 complete games in 117 starts.

“El Grande” became arguably the most dominant pitcher in baseball during his seven seasons in Boston. Martinez won at least 15 games five times and took home two more Cy Young Awards while also finishing in the top five on four other occasions. His best season came in 1999, when he not only won the top prize for a pitcher, but he finished second in the MVP voting and won the Pitching Triple Crown with a 23-4 record, a 2.07 ERA and 313 shutouts. Martinez also earned two All-Star selections in four seasons with the Mets before finishing his career with the Phillies in 2009. Over 19 seasons, he posted an amazing 219-100 record, a 2.93 ERA and 3,154 strikeouts. One more memorable moment came in Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS when he threw 70-year-old Yankees coach Don Zimmer to the ground during aa bench-clearing brawl. The eight-time All-Star and three-time ERA champ was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, and he works as a studio analyst.

3. Stephen Strasburg – When looking at some of the biggest “what-ifs” in baseball history, Strasburg’s name is starting to come up more in discussions. The San Diego native used a devastating fastball to help Team USA win the bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics in China, then was selected first overall by the Nationals the following year. Strasburg made his major league debut the following year but tore his ulnar collateral ligament, which required Tommy John surgery. He won 15 games, posted a 3.16 earned run average and struck out 197 batters in 2012, taking home his first All-Star selection and his only silver slugger. Two years later, he led the league with 242 strikeouts and began a run of six straight seasons with a double-digit win total.

Strasburg had arguably his best season in 2017. He earned his third and final All-Star nod and finished third in the Cy Young voting after posting his second straight 15-4 record to go with 204 strikeouts and a career-best 2.52 earned run average. Two years later, Strasburg led the league with 18 wins and 209 innings while striking out a personal-best 251 batters to finish fifth on the Cy Young ballot. He was just as stellar in the postseason, going 5-0 and striking out 47 batters in 36 1/3 innings while being named World Series MVP and helping the Nationals win the first title in franchise history.

Everything went downhill from there for Strasburg. He made just eight more starts in his career, missing most of the COVID-shortened campaign with a nerve issue in his throwing hand and most of the next two seasons after undergoing neck surgery to try an alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. Strasburg missed all of 2023 after yet another surgery related to his condition, but he never returned to the mound and retired in April of the following years. Strasburg spent his entire 13-year career with the Nationals (2010-22). He is the all-time franchise leader with 1,723 strikeouts, and he ranks second in wins (113-62) and starts (247) and third in innings (1,470) to go with a 3.24 earned run average.

2. Steve Rogers – Although he gets confused as Captain America’s alter ego, he was a hero to many fans of a young franchise struggling to find its identity. Rogers was selected fourth overall by the Expos in 1971, and he finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting two seasons later thanks to a 10-5 record and a 1.54 earned run average. Despite leading the league with 22 losses in 1974, he earned his first of five All-Star selections with Montreal. Rogers was not an All-Star in 1977, when he won 17 games and set career highs with 17 complete games, 301 2/3 innings and 206 strikeouts, but he was invited to the Midsummer classic in each of the next two seasons.

Rogers led the league in shutouts twice and complete games once, and he posted a double-digit win total 10 times in 13 seasons, all with the Expos (1973-85). His best season was 1982, when he was the Cy Young Award runner-up after striking out 179 batters, posting a career-high 19-8 record and leading the league with a 2.40 ERA. Rogers went 17-12 in 1983. After a 6-15 record, he made his ninth Opening Day start for the club in 1985, which ended with a 2-4 mark and his release in May. He had minor league stints with the White Sox and Angels before retiring at the end of the year.

Rogers finished his career as the all-time franchise leader in wins (158-152), starts (393), complete games (129), shutouts (37) and innings (2,837 2/3). He also ranks second in strikeouts (1,621), third in games pitched (399) and ninth in ERA (3.17). Rogers also made four starts in the team’s only playoff appearance while in Montreal. He went 3-1 and helped the Expos reach the NLCS, where they fell to the Dodgers. Although Rogers didn’t receive a single Hall of Fame vote in 1991, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

1. Max Scherzer – Like Strasburg and Pedro Martinez, Scherzer is a flamethrower who wowed fans and stymied the opposition. The Missouri native was a first-round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2006 and began blowing away big-league hitters two years later. Following the 2009 season, he was sent to the Tigers as part of a three-team deal that featured outfielder Curtis Granderson going to the Yankees. Scherzer became one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. During his five years with Detroit, he won at least 15 games four times and led the league in victories twice. In 2013, he won the Cy Young Award and was an All-Star for the first time after posting a league-best 21-3 record to go with a 2.90 earned run average and 240 strikeouts. He followed that by topping the A. L. with 18 win and striking out 252 more batters in 2014.

“Mad Max” turned that production into a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals in the offseason, and he enjoyed an unprecedented run of success with his new team. In each of the next five seasons, he was an All-Star, amassed a double-digit win total, struck out at least 240 batters and posted an ERA below 3.00. Scherzer also won two straight Cy Young awards and finished in the top three on two other occasions. In 2016, he had a 2.96 ERA and led the league with a 20-7 record, 284 strikeouts and 228 1/3 innings. He won the award again the following season thanks to a 16-6 mark, a 2.51 ERA and an N. L.-best 268 strikeouts. Scherzer had another stellar season in 2018, finishing as the Cy Young runner-up after leading the league with both an 18-7 record and a career-best 300 strikeouts, which ranks second in team history.

Following an 11-7 mark and an eighth straight All-Star selection in 2019, Scherzer went 3-0 in six postseason appearances, striking out 37 batters in 30 innings to help the Nationals win their first championship. He went 5-4 in the COVID-shortened campaign and was an All-Star once again in 2021 before he was traded to the Dodgers along with another All-Star, shortstop Trea Turner. Scherzer finished his seven-year tenure in Washington (2015-21) ranked second in franchise history in ERA (2.80), third in strikeouts (1,610), fourth in wins (92-47) and ninth in starts (189) and innings (1,229). The two-time All-MLB Team member went 7-0 in his new home but failed to get Los Angeles over the hump for a title. Scherzer had an ill-fated run with the Mets before helping Texas to a World Series victory in 2023. He signed with the Blue Jays in 2025.

Left-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Mark Langston was drafted by the Mariners and had a stellar start to his young career in Seattle. During six seasons in the Pacific Northwest, he won two gold gloves, led the league in strikeouts three times and was an All-Star after winning 19 games in 1987. Langston was traded to the Expos in 1989 in a deal that famously brought future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson to the Mariners. The San Diego native went 12-9 with 175 strikeouts in 24 starts, but his new team went from having the best record in the National League in early August to finishing in fourth place in their division. Langston signed a five-year, $16 million deal with the Angels in the offseason, making him the highest-paid player in baseball at the time. He earned three more All-Star selections and five straight gold gloves in eight years in Southern California, then finished his career by pitching for the Padres and Indians. Langston has been a radio analyst for the Angels since 2012.

5. Woodie Fryman – The Kentucky-born hurler began his career in Pittsburgh, was an All-Star with Philadelphia and pitched in the ALCS with Detroit. Fryman was traded to the Expos for the 1975 season and the following year, he was selected to his second All-Star Game after going 13-13 with a 3.37 earned run average with Montreal. He was traded to Cincinnati for future Hall of Famer Tony Perez after the season, but he spent little time with both the Reds and Cubs before being traded back to the Expos during the 1978 campaign. Fryman spent most of the rest of his career as a reliever until his retirement in 1983. In eight seasons with Montreal, he went 51-52 with a 3.24 ERA and eight shutouts, which is tied for fourth in franchise history. Fryman, who was inducted into the Expos and Kentucky Athletic halls of fame, fought Alzheimer’s disease in his later years and passed away due to a heart ailment in 2011 at age 70.

4. Jeff Fassero – The 1984 draft pick of the Cardinals bounced around the minors for several teams before making his major league debut as a reliever with the Expos in 1991. Fassero was converted to the starting rotation two years later and responded with a 12-5 record and a 2.29 earned run average. He had his best season in Montreal in 1996, earning Cy Young consideration after going 15-11 with a 3.30 ERA and a career-high 222 strikeouts. Fassero was traded to the Mariners and won a personal-best 16 games the following season. He ended his six-year Expos tenure (1991-96) with a 58-48 record, 750 strikeouts in 850 innings and a 3.20 ERA, which ranks tenth in franchise history. Overall, Fassero won 121 games over a 16-year major league career that was spent with nine teams. Following his retirement, he was a minor league pitching coach for the Cubs and Reds.

3. Patrick Corbin – The upstate New York native was drafted by the Angels but was sent to the Diamondbacks the following year. Corbin had some of his greatest success in Arizona, winning 56 games in six seasons and making two All-Star teams, despite missing a year due to Tommy John surgery. He signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Nationals for the 2019 season and helped to create a formidable top three in the rotation along with Scherzer and Strasburg. Corbin went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA and 238 strikeouts in the regular season, then went 2-3 in eight playoff appearances to help Washington win its first championship. Everything went downhill from there. Corbin not only led the league in losses three straight years from 2021-23, but he also topped the N. L. in hits and runs allowed three times each. After a 6-13 record in 2024, he signed with the Rangers, finishing his time in the Nation’s Capital with a 47-77 mark to go with a 5.11 ERA and 832 strikeouts in 946 2/3 innings over 170 starts.

2. Ross Grimsley – He was drafted by Cincinnati in 1969 and made seven postseason appearances for the “Big Red Machine,” including a 2-1 record in a losing effort against the Athletics in the 1972 World Series. Grimsley grew long hair and a mustache against team policy and was traded to the Orioles in 1974. After four seasons in Baltimore, he signed with Montreal in 1978 and paid immediate dividends for his new club. Grimsley earned the only All-Star selection of his career and garnered some Cy Young attention after posting a 3.05 earned run average, winning 20 games (tied for second in team history) and throwing 19 complete games, which is tied for the team record. He fell to 10-0 with a 5.35 ERA the following year, and when he started the 1980 season even worse, he was traded to the Indians, finishing his Expos career with a 32-24 record and 21 complete games. Grimsley did not pitch in the majors in 1981 and ended his career back with Baltimore the following season. Following his playing career, he was a minor league pitching coach and instructor with several clubs. Grimsley was inducted into the Tennessee State Hall of Fame in 1979.

1. Gio Gonzalez – Although the overall production from the club’s lefty starters is lacking, there is talent at the top. Gonzalez was a first-round pick of the White Sox in 2004 but was traded three times before making his major league debut with the Athletics. In between, he appeared in the 2006 MLB All-Star Futures Game with the Phillies. Gonzalez won 15 games in 2010 and 16 the following year, when he was selected to his first All-Star Game. He was traded to the Nationals after the season and responded with one of the best pitching performances in franchise history. Gonzalez went to the Midsummer Classic for the second straight year and finished third in the Cy Young voting after setting career highs with a 2.89 earned run average and 207 strikeouts while also leading the league and setting a franchise record with 21 wins.

Although Gonzalez never came close to that total for the rest of his career, he was an effective strikeout pitcher. He received Cy Young consideration again in 2017, when he went 15-9 with a 2.96 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 201 innings. The following year, he was traded to the Brewers and helped them reach the NLCS before they lost to the Dodgers. Gonzalez spent seven years with the Nationals (2012-18), and he ranks fourth in franchise history in starts (213) and strikeouts (1,215), fifth in wins (86-65) and seventh in innings (1,253 1/3) to go with a 3.62 ERA. He had failed tryouts with the Yankees and Marlins, played his last major league game with the White Sox in 2020 and returned to Washington for a guest appearance with the Savannah Bananas.

Relief Pitchers

Honorable Mentions – Tyler Clippard was drafted by the Yankees in 2003 and went on to enjoy a 16-year career with 10 clubs. After beginning his major league career as a starter in New York, he was traded to Washington and found his way to the bullpen. The bespectacled righty with a unique delivery was selected to a pair of All-Star games and became a workhorse for the Nationals. He won 11 games and struck out 112 batters in 2010, made his first All-Star team after posting a 1.83 earned run average the following year and set a career high with 32 saves in 2012. Clippard was named to the Midsummer Classic for a second time in 2014 but was traded to the Athletics after the season. After bouncing around for nearly a decade, he returned for a four-game stint with the Nationals in 2022 before retiring. He ended his time in Washington with a 34-24 record, a 2.72 ERA and 534 strikeouts in 469 innings over 418 games, a total that ranks second in franchise history.

Known for his killer beard, red glasses, curved arm setup and intimidating pre-pitch glare, Sean Doolittle was a star in the bullpen for the team in the late 2010s. The 2007 Athletics draft pick earned his first All-Star selection in 2014 after registering 22 saves and posting a 2.73 earned run average and a 12.8 strikeout rate. Following a six-year run in Oakland, he was traded to Washington in 2017 and amassed 21 saves in 30 appearances. Doolittle made the All-Star team for a second time the following year after saving 25 games, striking out 60 batters in 45 innings and posting a 1.60 ERA. Although his numbers fell in 2019, he still had 29 saves in the regular season and two more in nine playoff appearances to help the Nationals win their first World Series. Doolittle split 2021 between Cincinnati and Seattle before returning to Washington. However, he made just six scoreless appearances before undergoing surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, which eventually led to his retirement after a setback in recovery. Doolittle finished his Nationals tenure with a 10-10 record, a 2.92 ERA, 169 strikeouts in 148 innings and 75 saves, which is tied for eighth in franchise history. He is currently a pitching strategist with Washington and has taken on several charitable causes, including support for veterans and workers’ rights.

5B Mel Rojas – He was born in the Dominican Republic and is related to the famous Alou family. Rojas joined the Expos in 1990 and worked as a setup man for the first few years. He had his best season in 1992, when he went 7-1 with 10 saves and a 1.43 earned run average. When John Wetteland was traded to the Yankees in 1995, Rojas took over as closer, notching 30 saves in his first season in the role and 36 more the following year. He signed with the Cubs after the 1996 season and finished his time with the Expos ranked fourth in appearances (388) and saves (109) and eighth in ERA (3.11) to go with a 29-23 record. Rojas was traded soon after to the Mets for Bobby Bonilla, and he also spent time with the Dodgers and Tigers before finishing his major league career with a three-game stint back with the Expos in 1999. He played one season with the Chinese League in Taiwan in 2004.

5A Tim Burke – The second-round pick of the Pirates in 1980 was traded to the Yankees and then the Expos before making his debut in 1985. Burke immediate became a workhorse in the Montreal bullpen, leading the league with 78 appearances as a rookie. In 1987, he went 7-0 with 18 saves and a nearly unhittable 1.19 earned run average. Two years later, he made the only All-Star Game of his career after going 9-3 with a 2.55 ERA and a career-best 28 saves. Burke was traded to the Mets in 1991, finishing his time with the Expos as the all-time franchise leader in appearances (425) and ERA (2.61) and ranking sixth in saves (101) to go with a 43-26 record. He split his final two seasons between the two New York clubs and retired in 1993 in order to help raise four adopted children with special needs.

4. John Wetteland – Like many great relievers, he began as a starter when the Dodgers drafted him in the second round in 1985. Wetteland was traded twice in two months following the 1991 season, first to Cincinnati and then Montreal. Once the Expos moved him to the bullpen, he flourished, amassing 37 saves in his first season. Wetteland was even better in 1993, going 9-3 with a 1.37 earned run average, 43 saves (tied for second in team history) and 113 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings (for an 11.9 rate). His numbers fell slightly during the strike-shortened season, but he was still one of the game’s best closers when he was traded to the Yankees, ending his Expos tenure with a 17-13 record, a 2.32 ERA, 280 strikeouts in 232 1/3 innings and 105 saves (fourth in franchise history).

Wetteland made his first All-Star team, won the Rolaids Relief Award and led the league with 43 saves in 1996, then was named World Series MVP after saving all four wins over the Braves. With Mariano Rivera taking over as Yankees closer the following year, he signed with the Rangers, earning two more All-Star selections in four years and posting his 300th career save in 2000. Wetteland was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2005 and served as bullpen coach for the Mariners from 2009-10. He was indicted on sex abuse charges in 2019, but the charges were dropped after a mistrial was announced in 2023.

3. Ugueth Urbina – The only player with the initials “UUU” in major league history (his middle name is Urtain) began his career in 1995 as a spot starter and long reliever. He became the closer when Rojas left and put together three straight solid seasons in the role. After registering 27 saves in 1997, he followed that with his first All-Star selection after amassing 34 saves, striking out 94 batters in 69 1/3 innings and posting a 1.30 earned run average. Although his ERA ballooned by more than two runs per game in 1999, he led the league with 41 saves and struck out 100 batters in 75 2/3 innings. After missing most of the following season after having surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow, Urbina was traded to the Red Sox in 2001, finishing his seven-year Expos career (1995-2001) ranked third in franchise history in saves (125) and tenth in appearances (296) to go with a 31-26 record, a 3.52 ERA and 480 strikeouts in 406 2/3 innings.

Urbina was an All-Star with Boston in 2002, won a title with Florida the following year and pitched for the Rangers, Tigers and Phillies before he retired in 2005. His personal life took a dark turn when his mother was kidnapped in Venezuela and held for ransom for nearly five months before she was rescued in 2004. After his playing career ended, Urbina was arrested in late 2005 after assaulting five workers on his property using a machete and gasoline. He was convicted of attempted murder and served about half of a 14-year prison sentence before being released in 2012.

2. Chad Cordero – The franchise had a run of top-notch closers have a nearly uninterrupted run from the top person on this list in the early 1980s to Cordero, who played nearly 25 years later. Cordero was drafted in the first round by the Expos in the dying days of the club’s run in Montreal in 2003. He appeared in 12 games later that season and 69 the following year, going 7-3 with 14 saves. Cordero had his best season in 2005, earning his only All-Star selection, winning the Rolaids Relief Award and finishing fifth in the Cy Young voting after posting a 1.82 earned run average and 47 saves, which both led the league and set a team record.

“Chief” saw his ERA fell in each of the next two seasons, but he still was solid in the save department. After a slow start in 2007, he rebounded to register 37 saves in 76 appearances. Cordero missed most of the following season and all of 2009 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. While he was recovering, he refused a minor league assignment (after a team executive said he would be cut) and became a free agent. Cordero spent six seasons with the franchise (2003-08). He ranks second in saves (128) and eighth in appearances (305) to go with a 20-14 record, a 2.78 ERA and 292 strikeouts in 320 2/3 innings. He signed with the Mariners and was cut after just nine appearances. Cordero had failed stints with the Mets and Blue Jays, played for the independent St. Paul Saints and spent the 2013 season in the minor leagues with the Angels before he retired.

1. Jeff Reardon – The Massachusetts native was drafted by the Expos in 1973 but did not sign, instead doing so with the Mets four years later. Reardon was traded to Montreal for outfielder Ellis Valentine in 1981 and became the club’s full-time closer the flowing year. He posted five straight seasons with at least 20 saves with the Expos (and 11 overall through 1992). Reardon had his best season in an Expos uniform in 1985, when he made his first of four All-Star teams, earned Cy Young votes and won the Rolaids Relief Award after leading the league with 41 saves. During the season, Reardon closed out the team’s fourth straight shutout during a May game against the Braves.

“The Terminator” received his second straight All-Star selection after posting 35 saves. He was traded to the Twins after the season, finishing his six-year Expos tenure (1981-86) as the all-time franchise leader with 152 saves. Reardon also ranks third in earned run average (2.84) and fifth in appearances (359) to go with a 32-37 record and 398 strikeouts in 506 1/3 innings. He appeared in four games during the 1981 postseason, going 0-1 with two saves. Reardon was an integral part of Minnesota’s 1987 championship team and earned an All-Star selection the following year, as well as in 1991 with Boston. He spent one year each with the Braves and Reds before finishing his playing days in 1994 with the Yankees. Reardon finished his 16-year career with a 73-77 record, a 3.16 ERA and 367 saves.

Reardon’s personal life was upended after his son died of a drug overdose at age 20 in 2004. The reliever spiraled out of control following the incident. He tried to take his own life, and the mixing of medications for both his depression and a heart condition causing erratic behavior, including an armed robbery attempt at a jewelry store in Florida. After the charges were dropped, Reardon turned his life around, reducing his medications while starting a foundation to help those struggling with addiction. Reardon was inducted into the Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

This is the final article in the series. Watch for more MLB Top 5 articles soon!