* This interactive Web page presents detailed year-by-year historical data that were formerly displayed altogether on the 
Washington Nationals photos2022: Nationals' rebuilding effort shows scant progress
After the Washington Nationals traded away Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and other players in late July 2021, it was clear that the rebuilding effort would take a long time. However, the lockout initiated by MLB owners in early December blocked all player transactions and negotiations, meaning that teams "in flux" such as the Nationals were put at a strong disadvantage. On February 15, 2022 Ryan Zimmerman announced that he was retiring, after spending his entire career with the Nationals. Soon thereafter it was revealed that Juan Soto (who came in second place in voting for NL MVP last year) had turned down a $350-million long-term contract offer made last fall. Meanwhile, Stephen Strasburg went back on the injured list after just one start on the pitcher's mound, raising grave doubts about his seven-year mega-contract. Veteran sluggers Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz (one of the Nats' last-minute acquisitions in mid-March) did well, but for most of the year the team struggled to stay above a .333 win-loss record. In July they went from bad to worse, and just before the August 2 trade deadline, Juan Soto and Josh Bell -- the Nationals' only real star players -- were traded to the San Diego Padres. The Nationals's starting rotation was, quite frankly, just horrible; only Josiah Gray offers hope for the future. The team improved slightly in September, thanks to clutch slugging performances by Joey Meneses and other new players, as well as a solid bullpen, but the Nats lost their last five games of the season, finishing at 55-107 -- their worst record since arriving in D.C. in 2005.
| CF: Victor Robles .203 |
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| LF: Lane Thomas .235 Yadiel Hernandez |
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RF: Juan Soto $ .313 Joey Meneses |
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| SS: Luis Garcia .288 Alcides Escobar, C.J. Abrams |
2B: Cesar Hernandez *.232 Luis Garcia |
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| 3B: Maikel Franco * .207 Ildemaro Vargas * |
1B: Josh Bell $ .261 Luke Voit |
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| C: Keibert Ruiz .222 Riley Adams |
DH: Nelson Cruz *.265 |
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| 2021 batting average for position players, ERA for pitchers. * (asterisk) = new player (since end of 2021) DNP = did not play in 2021. $ = traded away on Aug. 2 |
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Manager: Dave Martinez |
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= No photo yet available.- Juan Soto (RF) -- 1 year, $17.1 million (AE)
- Nelson Cruz (DH) -- 1 year, $15 million
- Josh Bell (1B) -- 1 year, $10 million (AE)
- Cesar Hernandez (2B) -- 1 year, $4 million
- Erick Fedde (P) -- 1 year, $2.15 million
- Joe Ross (P) -- 1 year, $2.4 million
- Steve Cishek (P) -- 1 year, $1.75 million
- Sean Doolittle (P) -- 1 year, $1.5 million
- Maikel Franco (3B) -- 1 year, $1.25 million
- Alcides Escobar (SS) -- 1 year, $1 million
New contracts of note
"+" = optional extension (mutual or otherwise). "D" = part of salary is deferred. "AE" = arbitration eligible. Dollar figures are rounded, and are estimates in some cases.
| Opponent | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| ARI | 3 | 4 |
| ATL | 5 | 14 |
| BAL | 1 | 3 |
| BOS | 0 | 0 |
| CHC | 2 | 4 |
| CHW | 0 | 0 |
| CIN | 4 | 3 |
| CLE | 0 | 0 |
| COL | 4 | 3 |
| DET | 0 | 0 |
| HOU | 1 | 2 |
| KC | 0 | 0 |
| LAA | 1 | 2 |
| LAD | 3 | 3 |
| MIA | 4 | 15 |
| MIL | 3 | 3 |
| MIN | 0 | 0 |
| NYM | 5 | 14 |
| NYY | 0 | 0 |
| OAK | 2 | 1 |
| PHI | 3 | 16 |
| PIT | 3 | 4 |
| SD | 3 | 4 |
| SEA | 1 | 3 |
| SF | 2 | 4 |
| STL | 3 | 4 |
| TB | 0 | 0 |
| TEX | 2 | 1 |
| TOR | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 55 | 107 |
- Feb. 15 -- Ryan Zimmerman announced his retirement as an MLB player.
- Apr. 29 -- Nats ended 8-game losing streak with 22 hits, beating Giants 14-4. @
- May 25 -- Dodgers are shut out for the first time this year, losing to Nats 1-0.
- May 28 -- Victor Robles hits a career-high 6 RBIs, incl. a home run; Nats beat Rockies, 13-7.
- June 3 -- Lane Thomas hit 3 home runs, with 4 RBI; WSH 8, CIN 5 @
- June 18 -- Retirement ceremony for Ryan Zimmerman, but Nats lose their 8th straight game. (I was there!)
- July 26 -- Nats retake lead in 8th inning on Luis Garcia's 2-run homer, thus winning the road series; WSH 8, LAD 3 @
- July 30 -- Nats take lead in 7th inning on Josh Bell's 3-run homer, raising his value before trade deadline; WSH 7, STL 6
- Aug. 10 -- Joey Meneses homers in his 3rd consecutive game, his 7th-ever MLB game; CHC 4, WSH 2 @
- Aug. 28 -- Ildemaro Vargas homers to take lead, Patrick Corbin gets first win for a Nats starter since July 6; WSH 3, CIN 2 (I was there!)
- Sept. 1 -- Joey Meneses hits the Nats' first walk-off homer (3 runs) of 2022, in the 10th inning; WSH 7, OAK 5
- Sept. 16 -- Joey Meneses hits the Nats' first inside-the-park homer since 2017, ending a 5-game losing streak; WSH 5, MIA 4
- Oct. 1 -- Homers by Luke Voit, Joey Meneses, & Luis Garcia lift Nats to their final win of 2022; WSH 13, PHI 4
2022 memorable moments
"@" = away game
| Month | Wins | Losses | NL East place (at end) |
Number of home games |
Total attendance |
Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | 7 | 16 | 5th | 14 | 272,411 | 19,458 |
| May 2022 | 11 | 17 | 5th | 13 | 286,680 | 22,052 |
| June 2022 | 11 | 16 | 5th | 14 | 336,018 | 24,001 |
| July 2022 | 6 | 19 | 5th | 13 | 343,458 | 26,420 |
| Aug. 2022 | 9 | 18 | 5th | 14 | 410,172 | 29,298 |
| Sept. 2022 | 11 | 21 | 5th | 13 | 378,752 | 29,135 |
| 2022 | 55 | 107 | 5th | 81 | 2,027,491 | 25,031 |
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SOURCE: My unofficial daily tabulations from MLB Gameday stats, Washington Post, and other newspapers. |
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