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Fox Sports
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Nationals Lineup
One franchise, two countries. The Nationals' story can only be told through its Montreal Expos roots. Whether it's in D.C. or in Montreal, this squad has always had headliners. Still, let's file legislation to bring back that iconic Expos look. Manager: Felipe Alou Alou, who played for Montreal in 1973, became the franchise's manager during the 1992 season, and it was arguably the best run the Expos ever had, as they went 238-163 under Alou from 1992-94. While the Expos never made the playoffs under Alou and tapered off in the second half of his 10-year stint (1992-2001), his 691 career managerial wins with the franchise puts him first in Expos/Nationals history. The 1994 season (they were 74-40 before the season abruptly ended), which saw Alou win National League Manager of the Year honors, is the biggest what-if in Expos history. Starting pitcher: Stephen Strasburg The No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Strasburg got to the big leagues and lived up to the hype with the Nationals, while overcoming Tommy John surgery in 2010. A three-time All-Star, Strasburg was one of the best starting pitchers in MLB last decade, posting a combined 3.24 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over a career 247 starts. Furthermore, Strasburg had a career 1.46 postseason ERA over nine appearances/eight starts and was the 2019 World Series MVP for the Nationals. Strasburg, who made just eight starts after 2019 due to various injuries, is first in franchise history with 1,723 strikeouts, second with 113 wins and third among pitchers with a 31.0 WAR and 1,470.0 innings pitched. Reliever/closer: Jeff Reardon Montreal acquired Reardon during the 1981 season, and he was just what the doctor ordered. Over his six seasons with the Expos (1981-86), Reardon averaged 25.3 saves per season, posting a combined 2.84 ERA and led MLB with 41 saves in 1985. His 152 saves are first in franchise history. Two of Reardon's four All-Star nods came with the Expos. Catcher: Gary Carter One of the best catchers in MLB history spent the bulk of his career in Montreal (1974-84). A seven-time All-Star with the Expos, Carter was one of the driving forces of the 1981 Montreal team that reached the NL Championship Series, with the backstop recording a hit in each of their 10 postseason games and posting a combined .429/.488/.714 slash line. Carter, who won each of his three Gold Gloves and three of his five Silver Slugger awards with the Expos, is first in franchise history with a 55.8 WAR, fourth with both 220 home runs and 823 RBIs and fifth with 1,427 hits, 707 runs scored and 5,303 at-bats. 1B: Andres Galarraga Galarraga spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career in Montreal (1985-1991) and was a consistent power plug. From 1987-90, Galarraga averaged 21 home runs and 89 RBIs per season, while posting a combined .280/.337/.462 slash line and earning two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger and one All-Star honor with Montreal. Galarraga, who spent one more season with the Expos in 2002, is 10th in franchise history with 473 RBIs and is tied for 10th with 115 home runs. 2B: Jose Vidro Vidro is one of a handful of players who suited up in both an Expos jersey (1997-2004) and a Nationals jersey (2005-06). The middle infielder was one of the best contact hitters in the sport during his time with the Expos, batting north of .300 in five consecutive seasons (1999-2003), totaling 200 hits in 2000 and earning three All-Star honors. In total, Vidro is tied for second in franchise history with a .301 batting average, is third with 304 doubles, sixth with both 1,280 hits and 4,257 at-bats, seventh with 550 RBIs and 614 runs scored and tied for 10th with 115 home runs. 3B: Ryan Zimmerman The first pick in the history of the Nationals franchise (No. 4 pick in the 2005 MLB Draft) spent his entire career with the team that drafted him (2005-2021, excluding 2020) and was one of its best all-time players. A two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and one-time Gold Glover, Zimmerman was one of the best third basemen in the game before moving full-time to first base in 2015, posting a combined 60 DRS at the hot corner from 2007-10. Zimmerman, who played first base during Washington's road to winning the 2019 World Series, is first in franchise history with 1,846 hits, 284 home runs, 1,061 RBIs, 417 doubles, 963 runs scored and 6,654 at-bats and fourth with a 40.1 WAR. SS: Trea Turner Turner became a full-time player for the Nationals in 2016, which is precisely when he became an impact player. After hitting .342 and stealing 33 bases in just 73 regular-season games, Turner quickly became one of the best shortstops in the game, moving to his primary position (shortstop) on a full-time basis in 2017. Turner, who started on Washington's 2019 championship team, had blazing speed, a quick and powerful bat and was swift at the middle infield position for the Nationals, with whom he played from 2015-21. Turner is fourth in franchise history with a .300 batting average, 32 triples and 192 stolen bases, seventh with a .486 slugging percentage and ninth with a 22.3 WAR. OF: Andre Dawson Dawson was a terror in the batter's box for the Expos, with whom he played the first 11 seasons of his MLB career (1976-86). The Hall of Fame outfielder's most productive season in Montreal came in 1983, when Dawson totaled 32 home runs, 113 RBIs and posted a .539 slugging percentage. Dawson, who started in both center and right field for the Expos, is second in franchise history with 67 triples, third with 225 home runs, a 48.4 WAR and 5,628 at-bats, fourth with 1,575 hits and tied for 10th with a .476 slugging percentage. He also won six Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards across his stint in Montreal. OF: Tim Raines Raines spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Expos (1979-90) and was one of the best all-around hitters in the sport during his time in Montreal, highlighted by winning the 1986 batting title and hitting above .300 in five seasons. Furthermore, Raines led the NL in stolen bases in four consecutive seasons (1981-84). Raines is first in franchise history with 635 stolen bases and 82 triples, second with 947 runs scored, tied for second with a .301 batting average, is third with 1,622 hits and fourth with 5,383 at-bats. OF: Vladimir Guerrero Guerrero is one of the most intimidating hitters in MLB history, and it all started in Montreal, where he played the first eight seasons of his career (1996-2003). The 6-foot-3 outfielder logged 100-plus RBIs in five consecutive seasons (1998-2002), 40-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons (1999-2000) and was a three-time Silver Slugger with the Expos. Guerrero is first in franchise history with both a .323 batting average and .588 slugging percentage, second with 234 home runs, fifth with 702 RBIs, sixth with a 34.7 WAR and seventh with 1,215 hits. One could argue that the best seasons of Guerrero's career came in Montreal. DH: Bryce Harper The Nationals took Harper with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, and the outfielder made his big-league debut at 19 years old, with his quick road in the big leagues captivating the baseball world. Harper joined a Nationals team that made the playoffs in his first season (2012), and he would soon become the face of the franchise, cemented by winning the 2015 NL MVP. Across his seven seasons in D.C. (2012-18), Harper was one of the premier players in the sport, averaging 26 home runs per season, holding down right field and earning six All-Star nods. Harper is third in franchise history with a .512 slugging percentage, sixth with 184 home runs, eighth with a 27.7 WAR, ninth with 521 RBIs and 10th with 922 hits. Honorable mentions: Dave Martinez (manager) Max Scherzer (starting pitcher) Gio Gonzalez (starting pitcher) Pedro Martinez (starting pitcher) - I added this one, and Randy Johnson briefly pitched for Montreal Patrick Corbin (starting pitcher) Jordan Zimmerman (starting pitcher) Tim Burke (reliever/closer) Chad Cordero (reliever/closer) Drew Storen (reliever/closer) Wilson Ramos (catcher) Kurt Suzuki (catcher) Adam LaRoche (1B) Howie Kendrick (2B) Daniel Murphy (2B) Ronnie Belliard (2B) Danny Espinosa (2B) Anthony Rendon (3B) Ian Desmond (SS) Juan Soto (OF) Alfonso Soriano (OF) Marquis Grissom (OF) Jayson Werth (OF) Michael Taylor (OF) Jose Guillen (OF) Moises Alou (OF) Adam Dunn (1B/DH) Josh Willingham (OF/DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Washington Nationals recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Marlins Lineup
It's sink or swim for the Marlins. Only four playoff appearances ever, but two have resulted in World Series titles. Fish fans will take that. An expansion team in 1993, no Marlin has had his number retired. But still no shortage of stars in South Beach. Manager: Jack McKeon The Marlins followed up winning the 1997 World Series by posting five consecutive losing seasons and beginning the 2003 season at 16-22, which led to manager Jeff Torborg getting fired and McKeon becoming the team's new manager. Then, something notable happened: Florida went 75-49 the rest of the season, was the NL wild-card seed and later beat the New York Yankees in the World Series in six games. The Marlins never made the playoffs again under McKeon, who was the 2003 National League Manager of the Year. Granted, they posted back-to-back winning seasons from 2004-05. In the end, though, the Marlins went 281-257 in the regular season under McKeon from 2003-05 and the final 90 games of the 2011 season, as he took over as interim manager in said season. McKeon's 52.2% winning percentage ranks first among full-time managers in Marlins history and his 281 wins rank second. Starting pitcher: Josh Beckett Beckett spent the first five seasons of his MLB career with the Marlins (2001-05), with whom he came into his own as one of the best pitchers in the sport and was part of the franchise's 2003 World Series triumph. In the 2003 postseason, Beckett posted a 2.11 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 47 strikeouts across six appearances/five starts (42.2 innings), including two complete-game shutouts, one of them coming in the closeout Game 6 of the World Series in Yankee Stadium; Beckett won the 2003 World Series MVP Award (Beckett posted a 1.10 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 16.1 innings pitched in two starts throughout the series). Despite pitching just five seasons in South Florida, Beckett is second in Marlins history with a 3.46 ERA and eighth with both 607 strikeouts and a 10.7 WAR among pitchers and ninth with 41 wins. Reliever/closer: Robb Nen Florida acquired Nen midway through his 1993 rookie season, and the right-handed reliever became an integral part of its bullpen in his first complete season with the team (1994). From 1994-97, Nen posted a combined 2.98 ERA and 27 saves per season. His 108 combined saves with the Marlins ranks first in franchise history. In Miami's 1997 World Series season, Nen pitched in eight postseason games, including 1.2 shutout innings in the team's closeout Game 7 victory against Cleveland. Catcher: Charles Johnson Johnson had two stints with the Marlins, the first coming from 1994-98, with him helping the franchise win its 1997 championship and then returning from 2001-02, earning an All-Star nod in 2001. A steady, all-around catcher, Johnson, a four-time Gold Glover and two-time All-Star, ranks first in Marlins history with an 8.6 defensive WAR and was a consistent offensive catalyst from the right side for Miami, hitting 19 home runs in 124 regular-season games in 1997. 1B: Derrek Lee Lee arrived in Miami in 1998 and would become one of the most consistent first basemen in the league. From 2000-03, the first baseman averaged 27 home runs and 81 RBIs per season, while posting a combined .276/.368/.495 slash line. Lee was a reliable hitter with power from the right side who held his own at first base for Miami. Lee is sixth in Marlins history with 129 home runs, seventh with 417 RBIs, eighth with 422 runs scored and ninth with both 746 hits and 159 doubles. While the 2003 season would be Lee's last with the Marlins, he did help them win their last championship. 2B: Luis Castillo Castillo wreaked havoc for the Marlins. Spending the first 10 seasons of his MLB career in Miami (1996-2005), Castillo was one of the best second basemen of his era, a contact hitter and swiped bags at a high rate; Castillo led the NL in steals in 2000 and 2002. Castillo is first in Marlins history with 1,273 hits, 281 stolen bases, 675 runs scored, 42 triples and 4,347 at-bats, third with a 22.4 WAR, fifth with a .370 on-base percentage and seventh with a .293 batting average. Castillo, who started for the 2003 title team, was one of the most consistent players to suit up for the Marlins, with whom he earned each of his three Gold Gloves and three All-Star nods. 3B: Miguel Cabrera Before Cabrera mashed at the plate like he had a grudge on the Detroit Tigers, he did so with the Marlins from 2003-07. The intimidating, right-handed hitter was thrown into the fray as a rookie, starting and helping the Marlins win the 2003 World Series. Across his first four complete seasons in Florida (2004-07), Cabrera averaged 32 home runs and 115 RBIs per season, while posting a .318/.396/.551 slash line. He was an All-Star in all four seasons and a Silver Slugger in two of those seasons (2005 and 2006). Cabrera is first in franchise history with a .313 batting average, second with a .388 on-base percentage, third with a .542 slugging percentage, fourth with both 523 RBIs and an 18.3 WAR, tied for fourth with 183 doubles, is fifth with 138 home runs and sixth with 842 hits. All of that production was in five seasons. SS: Hanley Ramirez It took about five seconds for Ramirez to become one of the most exciting players in baseball in 2006. Ramirez hit for both contact and power, was a menace on the basepaths and made highlight-reel plays at shortstop. In 2009, he won the NL batting title, hitting .342. Ramirez spent the first six-plus full seasons of his career with the Marlins (2006-12), with whom he was a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger. Ramirez is second in Marlins history with 1,103 hits, 232 doubles, 230 stolen bases, 666 runs scored and a 26.9 WAR, third with both 148 home runs and a .300 batting average, tied for third with a .374 on-base percentage, is fifth with 482 RBIs and sixth with a .499 slugging percentage. OF: Giancarlo Stanton There are home runs, and then there are Giancarlo Stanton home runs. Before being traded in the 2017-18 offseason, Stanton was the most dangerous hitter in baseball, as his unreal power from the right side — which, at times, generates line-drive home runs that have to be seen to believe — was an ability second to Barry Bonds, if anybody in the 21st century. Spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Marlins (2010-17), Stanton led the NL in home runs and WAR twice apiece and slugging percentage three times, while hitting an MLB-best 59 home runs in his final season with them (2017). Stanton is first in Marlins history with 267 home runs, 672 RBIs, a .554 slugging percentage and a 35.8 WAR, third with both 202 doubles and 576 runs scored and fifth with 960 hits. Four of his five All-Star nods came with the Marlins. OF: Gary Sheffield Sheffield only spent five years with the Marlins (mid-1993 through mid-1998), but they were impactful — and loud. In 1996, the electric, right-handed hitter totaled a then-career-high 42 home runs and 120 RBIs. The ensuing season, Sheffield was part of the Marlins' 1997 title run and was spectacular in the postseason, totaling three home runs and seven RBIs, while posting a .320/.521/.540 slash line. Sheffield is first in Marlins history with a .426 on-base percentage, second with a .543 slugging percentage, seventh with 122 home runs, ninth with 380 RBIs and tied for 10th with a .288 batting average. OF: Juan Pierre Pierre landed in Miami at an opportune time: 2003. The outfielder played in every regular-season game in each of his first three seasons with the Marlins (2003-05), with whom he averaged an astonishing 202 hits and 56 stolen bases per season while batting a combined .303 (Pierre left the Marlins after the 2005 season but played one more season for the franchise in 2013, his last MLB season). Pierre, who hit .333 in the 2003 postseason for Florida, was a nightmare for opposing teams. He was an elite contact hitter with elite speed who was elite in center field. Pierre is second in Marlins history with 34 triples, third with 190 stolen bases and fifth with both 561 singles and a .295 batting average. DH: Mike Lowell Lowell spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the Marlins (1999-2005). A three-time All-Star, one-time Gold Glover and one-time Silver Slugger with the Marlins, Lowell gave Florida some of the best years of his career, serving as one of the best third basemen of the 2000s and a consistent, high-level run-producer, highlighted by a pair of 100 RBI-seasons in 2001 and 2003. From 2000-04, Lowell averaged 25 home runs and 95 RBIs per season, while posting a combined .280/.349/.485 slash line. Lowell is first in Marlins history with 241 doubles, second with 578 RBIs, fourth with both 965 hits and 143 home runs, fifth with 477 runs scored and eighth with a 14.2 WAR. Honorable mentions: Dontrelle Willis (starting pitcher) Sandy Alcantara (starting pitcher) Jose Fernandez (starting pitcher) Steve Cishek (reliever/closer) Antonio Alfonseca (reliever/closer) AJ Ramos (reliever/closer) Armando Benitez (reliever/closer) Ivan Rodriguez (catcher) J.T. Realmuto (catcher) Jeff Conine (1B) Dan Uggla (2B) Cliff Floyd (OF) Marcell Ozuna (DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Miami Marlins recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Newsweek
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Insider Tabs Cardinals Skipper As Manager Of Year If Voted On Now
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The St. Louis Cardinals were expected to take a step back from contention this season and focus on seeing what their young players are going to be in Major League Baseball. Manager Oliver Marmol and his club did not get the message, as the fourth-year manager has his club squarely in the mix for the National League Central crown. ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 23:Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals argues with home plate umpire Ron Kulpa #46 after being ejected in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch... ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 23:Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals argues with home plate umpire Ron Kulpa #46 after being ejected in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium on May 23, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. More Photo byEntering Tuesday, Marmol has the Cardinals holding the third wild card spot and just three games back of historic rival Chicago Cubs for the division lead. Marmol's club was a horrendous 71-91 in 2023 and was back over a .500 win percentage last season, all leading to the team being eight games over .500 entering July this year. "If the National League Manager of the Year vote was conducted today, Oli Marmol of the St. Louis Cardinals should be the runaway winner," Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote in his Sunday column. The Cardinals' skipper has been under fire for the prior two seasons from fans of the team and has taken those criticisms in stride as he hunts for a Red October. The Cardinals started the year unable to win on the road, but until Monday night's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team was on a six-game winning streak on the road. The Cardinals continue to win at home and have fixed their road woes from the beginning of the year, keeping them in the mix. Marmol's club was not expected to make noise this year, but he has one of the league's historic franchises on track to fight until game 162 and return to the postseason after a two-year hiatus. More MLB: Former MLB Players Expressing Their Displeasure With Position Players Pitching To MLB
