I’m treating the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals as one continuous MLB franchise, because MLB recognizes the Nationals’ franchise history as beginning with the Expos in 1969. The franchise moved to Washington after the 2004 season.
The Washington Nationals have one of the most unusual histories in Major League Baseball. The franchise began not in Washington, D.C., but in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as the Montreal Expos in 1969. After 36 seasons in Montreal, the franchise moved to Washington for the 2005 season and became the Washington Nationals.
Although the Nationals are a relatively young Washington club, their franchise history stretches back to 1969 and includes Hall of Famers, Cy Young winners, MVPs, Rookie of the Year winners, legendary trades and, finally, a World Series championship.
The franchise has played under two names:
Montreal Expos — 1969–2004
Washington Nationals — 2005–present
MLB’s official history treats the Expos and Nationals as one franchise.
The Beginning: Montreal Gets Major League Baseball
Montreal was awarded a National League expansion franchise in 1968, and the Expos began play in 1969. They became the first Major League Baseball team located outside the United States.
The franchise’s founding principal owner was Charles Bronfman, the Canadian businessman and Seagram executive who helped bring Major League Baseball to Montreal.
The Expos played their first game on April 8, 1969, at Shea Stadium against the New York Mets and won 11–10. Six days later, Montreal hosted its first home game at Jarry Park.
The early Expos struggled to win consistently, but the organization developed a remarkable collection of young talent.
Franchise Ownership
Montreal Expos
Charles Bronfman — 1969–1991
Bronfman was the founding principal owner and the man most responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to Montreal. He remained in control of the club until 1991. He was later inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Claude Brochu — 1991–1999
Brochu led a consortium of Canadian investors that purchased the club from Bronfman. He became the Expos’ managing general partner and attempted to keep the franchise in Montreal despite serious financial and stadium problems.
Jeffrey Loria — 1999–2002
Loria acquired control of the Expos in 1999. His ownership became controversial, particularly as the club struggled financially and attempts to secure a new Montreal stadium failed.
Major League Baseball — 2002–2006
MLB took control of the Expos in 2002. The franchise remained under league ownership through its final Montreal seasons and its first season in Washington.
Washington Nationals Ownership
Major League Baseball — 2004–2006
MLB owned and operated the franchise during the transition from Montreal to Washington.
Ted Lerner and the Lerner Family — 2006–2023
In July 2006, the Lerner family officially purchased the Nationals from MLB for $450 million. Ted Lerner became the managing principal owner.
The Lerners oversaw the construction and opening of Nationals Park and eventually celebrated the greatest moment in franchise history: the 2019 World Series championship.
Mark Lerner — 2018–present as Managing Principal Owner
Ted Lerner transferred the managing principal-owner position to his son Mark Lerner in 2018, although the Lerner family has continued to own the franchise.
As of 2026, the Lerner family remains the owner of the Nationals.
Every Major League Home Ballpark
Montreal Expos
Jarry Park — 1969–1976
Jarry Park was the original home of the Montreal Expos. It was a converted minor-league facility expanded to Major League standards.
It hosted the franchise’s first home game in 1969.
Olympic Stadium — 1977–2004
The Expos moved into Olympic Stadium in 1977. The stadium had been built for the 1976 Summer Olympics.
It remained Montreal’s primary Major League home until the franchise moved to Washington.
Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico — 2003–2004
The Expos played portions of their home schedule in San Juan during their final two Montreal seasons as MLB searched for a permanent solution to the franchise’s problems.
Washington Ballparks
RFK Stadium — 2005–2007
When baseball returned to Washington in 2005, the Nationals initially played at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
The club played three seasons there before moving into its new ballpark.
Nationals Park — 2008–present Nationals Park opened on March 30, 2008.
The Nationals defeated Atlanta 3–2 in the first regular-season game at the new stadium, with Ryan Zimmerman hitting a walk-off home run.
Nationals Park finally gave Washington a permanent baseball-only home and became the setting for the 2019 World Series championship celebration.
The Greatest Hall of Famers in Franchise History
The franchise has produced or developed an extraordinary number of Hall of Fame players.
Because Hall of Fame plaques are based on a player’s career and may use a different team logo, this list includes Hall of Famers who played for the Expos/Nationals franchise rather than suggesting that all entered Cooperstown representing Montreal or Washington.
Gary Carter
Position: Catcher
Born: Culver City, California
Hall of Fame: 2003
Carter became one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and remains the most iconic Hall of Famer associated with the Montreal Expos.
He played for Montreal from 1974–1984 and again in 1992.
Carter was a seven-time All-Star and helped the New York Mets win the 1986 World Series after leaving Montreal.
Tim Raines Position: Left Field
Born: Sanford, Florida
Hall of Fame: 2017
Raines was one of the greatest leadoff hitters and base stealers in baseball history.
He spent the majority of his career with Montreal and became the face of the Expos during the 1980s.
He was elected to Cooperstown in 2017.
Andre Dawson
Position: Right Field
Born: Miami, Florida
Hall of Fame: 2010
Dawson became one of Montreal’s greatest stars.
He won eight Gold Gloves and was one of the most powerful hitters of his era.
Dawson won the 1987 National League MVP Award with the Chicago Cubs, after leaving Montreal.
His Hall of Fame plaque originally displayed an Expos cap, although the Hall changed his plaque to a blank cap in 2026 following Dawson’s request. (Andre Dawson wanted to enter the Hall of Fame as a CUB. According to Legend).
Vladimir Guerrero Position: Right Field
Born: Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic
Hall of Fame: 2018
Guerrero became one of the most exciting hitters in Expos history.
He possessed tremendous throwing strength, extraordinary bat-to-ball ability and power.
Guerrero entered the Hall of Fame representing the Los Angeles Angels rather than Montreal.
Pedro Martínez Position: Pitcher
Born: Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic
Hall of Fame: 2015
Martínez became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
The Expos acquired him from the Dodgers in 1993, and he developed into a dominant pitcher in Montreal before becoming a Boston Red Sox legend.
He was elected to Cooperstown in 2015.
Randy Johnson
Position: Pitcher
Born: Walnut Creek, California
Hall of Fame: 2015
Johnson was originally an Expos prospect.
Montreal traded him to Seattle in 1989 before he developed into the dominant pitcher he would become.
He eventually won five Cy Young Awards, including four consecutive awards with Arizona.
Larry Walker
Position: Right Field
Born: Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
Hall of Fame: 2020
Walker developed into a superstar after leaving Montreal and later won the National League MVP Award with Colorado.
He was elected to Cooperstown in 2020.
Lee Smith
Position: Pitcher
Born: DeLand, Florida
Hall of Fame: 2019
Smith became one of the dominant relief pitchers of his generation.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019.
Tony Pérez
Position: First Base
Born: Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
Hall of Fame: 2000
Pérez played briefly for Montreal late in his career and is recognized among the franchise’s Hall of Fame-associated players.
Frank Robinson
Position: Outfield
Born: Beaumont, Texas
Hall of Fame: 1982
Robinson was one of baseball’s greatest players and later managed the Montreal Expos.
His Hall of Fame career included MVP seasons with Cincinnati and Baltimore.
Iván Rodríguez
Position: Catcher
Born: Manatí, Puerto Rico
Hall of Fame: 2017
Rodríguez spent a portion of his long career with Washington after joining the Nationals in 2010.
He was elected to Cooperstown in 2017.
Hall of Fame Summary
Hall of Famer
Birthplace
HOF
Frank Robinson
Beaumont, Texas
1982
Tony Pérez
Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
2000
Gary Carter
Culver City, California
2003
Andre Dawson
Miami, Florida
2010
Randy Johnson
Walnut Creek, California
2015
Pedro Martínez
Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic
2015
Tim Raines
Sanford, Florida
2017
Iván Rodríguez
Manatí, Puerto Rico
2017
Vladimir Guerrero
Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic
2018
Lee Smith
DeLand, Florida
2019
Larry Walker
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
2020
Important distinction: MLB currently identifies Gary Carter and Tim Raines as the franchise’s Hall of Famers inducted as Expos, while several other Hall of Famers played for the franchise but entered Cooperstown representing other clubs or without a team logo.
Most Valuable Player Winners
Bryce Harper — 2015
The Nationals’ first and, through the 2026 season, only National League MVP winner while playing for Washington was Bryce Harper.
In 2015, Harper hit:
.330 batting average
42 home runs
99 RBIs
124 walks
118 runs
He became the youngest unanimous NL MVP at the time and established himself as the centerpiece of the Washington franchise.
Andre Dawson — 1987
Dawson is another major MVP connection to the franchise. He became a Montreal superstar, but won the 1987 NL MVP after signing with the Chicago Cubs.
Rookie of the Year Winners
Bryce Harper — 2012
Bryce Harper won the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year Award.
He hit:
.270
22 home runs
59 RBIs
18 stolen bases
98 runs
Harper became the youngest position player at that time to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
He was the first Nationals player in Washington to win a BBWAA major individual award.
Players the Franchise Traded Away Before They Became Stars
One of the most fascinating parts of Expos/Nationals history is the number of future stars who left before reaching their greatest accomplishments.
Randy Johnson
The Expos traded Johnson to the Seattle Mariners in 1989.
At the time, Johnson was a talented but inconsistent young pitcher. He had only 55⅔ innings for Montreal and struggled badly in 1989.
He became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history after the trade.
Result: Five Cy Young Awards and Hall of Fame induction.
Cliff Lee
Montreal acquired Bartolo Colon from Cleveland in 2002 and gave up prospects Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore.
Lee later won the 2008 American League Cy Young Award with Cleveland.
Grady Sizemore
Sizemore was an Expos draft pick in 2000.
Montreal traded him to Cleveland in the 2002 Colon deal before he reached the Major Leagues.
He became one of baseball’s best young outfielders from 2005–08.
Brandon Phillips
Phillips was another prospect included in the 2002 trade.
He later became a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner with Cincinnati.
The Colon trade remains one of the most remarkable examples of a franchise giving up several future stars for an established player.
Jesús Luzardo
The Nationals traded Luzardo, Blake Treinen and Sheldon Neuse to Oakland in 2017 for Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson.
Luzardo was still a prospect when Washington traded him. He later developed into a high-level Major League pitcher.
The 2002 Colon Trade
Few trades in franchise history deserve more attention than the 2002 deal with Cleveland.
Montreal received:
Bartolo Colon
Cleveland received:
Cliff Lee
Brandon Phillips
Grady Sizemore
Lee Stevens
Colon was an established ace when Montreal acquired him.
But the three young players eventually became much more valuable over their careers.
Lee won a Cy Young Award.
Phillips became a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner.
Sizemore became one of the American League’s premier young outfielders.
MLB later described the deal as one of baseball’s great trades because of what the three prospects eventually accomplished.
The Montreal Expos’ Greatest Era
The Expos developed a tremendous core during the late 1970s and 1980s.
Players such as:
Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Tim Wallach, Dennis Martínez, Steve Rogers, and
Rusty Staub, made Montreal a serious National League contender.
The franchise reached its first postseason in 1981.
1981 National League Championship Series
The 1981 Expos won the National League Division Series over the Philadelphia Phillies.
They advanced to the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Montreal came within one victory of reaching the World Series.
The Dodgers won the series 3–2.
Game 5 became famous as “Blue Monday”, when Rick Monday hit a ninth-inning home run that eliminated Montreal.It remas one of the most painful moments in Expos history.
The 1994 Expos
The 1994 Montreal Expos may have been the greatest team in franchise history.
The club featured:
Pedro Martínez, Moisés Alou, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom, Mike Lansing, Wil Cordero,
John Wetteland
Montreal had the best record in the National League when the 1994 season was stopped by the players’ strike.
The Expos never got the opportunity to finish their season or compete for a World Series.
That lost opportunity remains one of the biggest “what if?” stories in baseball history.
Moving to Washington
After the 2004 season, Major League Baseball moved the Expos to Washington, D.C.
The franchise became the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Baseball had returned to the nation’s capital after the previous Senators franchise left following the 1971 season.
The Nationals played their first three seasons at RFK Stadium before moving into Nationals Park in 2008.
The Rise of the Nationals
The early Washington years were difficult.
The Nationals went through several losing seasons while rebuilding their organization.
Then the franchise began accumulating elite young talent.
The transformation included:
Ryan Zimmerman Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond,
Max Scherzer, Juan Soto, Trea Turner.
The Nationals reached the postseason in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017 but lost in the Division Series each time.
2019: The Year Washington Finally Won It All
The 2019 Nationals began the season poorly.
Washington was 19–31 at one point.
Then the team turned its season around.
The Nationals finished 93–69 and earned a Wild Card berth.
They defeated:
Milwaukee Brewers — Wild Card Game
Los Angeles Dodgers — NL Division Series
St. Louis Cardinals — NL Championship Series
Houston Astros — World Series
The Nationals swept the Cardinals 4–0 in the NLCS.
They then defeated Houston 4 games to 3 in the World Series.
The 2019 World Series Championship
The Nationals won the first World Series championship in franchise history.
They became the first Washington MLB team to win the World Series since the 1924 Senators.
The remarkable thing about the 2019 World Series was that the visiting team won every game.
Washington won Games 6 and 7 in Houston to capture the championship.
World Series result
Washington Nationals 4
Houston Astros 3
World Series MVP: Stephen Strasburg
Washington ace Stephen Strasburg was named World Series MVP.
In Game 6, with Washington facing elimination, Strasburg delivered one of the most important performances in franchise history.
He won Game 6, 7–2, sending the series to a deciding seventh game.
The Nationals won Game 7, giving Washington its first World Series championship.
World Series Championships
The franchise has won:
2019 — Washington Nationals
World Series record: 4–3 over Houston Astros
This remains the franchise’s only World Series championship.
The franchise has one World Series title and one National League pennant.
The Nationals’ Most Important Players
Gary Carter
The greatest catcher in Expos history and a Hall of Famer.
Tim Raines
One of baseball’s greatest leadoff hitters and base stealers.
Andre Dawson
Power hitter and 2010 Hall of Famer.
Vladimir Guerrero
One of the most talented hitters ever developed by Montreal.
Pedro Martínez
A future Hall of Fame pitcher who began his rise with Montreal.
Randy Johnson
A future Hall of Fame pitcher whom Montreal traded before his career exploded.
Larry Walker
A future Hall of Fame outfielder and former NL MVP.
Ryan Zimmerman
The first true face of the Washington Nationals and the franchise’s longtime third baseman.
Stephen Strasburg
The No. 1 overall pick in 2009 and the 2019 World Series MVP.
Bryce Harper
2012 Rookie of the Year and 2015 NL MVP.
Max Scherzer
Two-time Cy Young winner with Washington and a major part of the club’s championship core.
Juan Soto
One of the greatest young hitters ever developed by Washington and a key member of the 2019 championship team.
Trea Turner
A dynamic shortstop who became a star in Washington and helped the Nationals win the 2019 World Series.
The Nationals’ Legacy
The history of the Washington Nationals cannot be told simply by starting in 2005.
It begins in 1969 in Montreal.
It includes the great Expos teams of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. It includes Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Pedro Martínez, Randy Johnson, Larry Walker and Vladimir Guerrero.
It includes painful trades, including the deals that sent away future stars such as Johnson, Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore.
It includes the heartbreaking end to the 1994 season.
And finally, it includes Washington’s remarkable 2019 championship.
The franchise’s journey from Montreal to Washington took 50 years before it finally reached the top of baseball.
Franchise at a Glance
Founded: 1969
Original name: Montreal Expos
Current name: Washington Nationals
Montreal: 1969–2004
Washington: 2005–present
League: National League
Division: National League East
World Series championships: 1
World Series: 2019
NL pennants: 1
MVP winners with Washington: Bryce Harper, 2015
Rookie of the Year winners with Washington: Bryce Harper, 2012
World Series MVP: Stephen Strasburg, 2019
Primary current ballpark: Nationals Park
Current ownership: Lerner family
The Washington Nationals’ history is therefore much larger than the years since baseball returned to Washington. It is the continuation of the Montreal Expos franchise — a story filled with great players, missed opportunities, heartbreaking trades, relocation, rebuilding and, ultimately, a World Series championship.
Artie Fischal
