Ryan Zimmerman, the face of the Nationals since the franchise’s first season in Washington in 2005, announced his retirement Tuesday.
After 17 seasons spent entirely with the Nationals, the two-time All-Star made the announcement via his agency, CAA Sports, on Twitter.
From being the team’s first-ever draft selection after the franchise moved from Montreal to Washington to helping lead the team to a World Series title in 2019, Zimmerman was a stalwart for the Nationals organization — both as a leader and in the lineup.
“When we first met I was a 20-year-old kid fresh out of the University of Virginia — the very first player ever selected by the newly created Washington Nationals in the 2005 draft.