The Nationals have played at Nationals Park since 2008
A 1971 view of Jarry Park Stadium, where the Expos played from 1969 to 1976
The Montreal Olympic Stadium, Canada home of the Expos from 1977 until their move to Washington after the 2004 season
A Nationals game in June 2005 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, where the team played from 2005 to 2007

This is a list of seasons completed by the Washington Nationals, originally known as the Montreal Expos, professional baseball franchise; they have played in the National League from their inception in 1969. They are an American professional baseball team that has been based in Washington, D.C. since 2005. The Nationals are a member of both the Major League Baseball's (MLB) National League Eastern Division. Since the 2008 season, the Nationals have played in Nationals Park; from 2005 through 2007, the team played in Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.

The Nationals are the successors to the Montreal Expos, who played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from their inception as an expansion team in 1969 through 2004, with the majority of that time (1977–2004) spent in Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

The following takes into account both teams, as all Montreal records were carried with the franchise when it moved to Washington.

Table Key

NLDS
 National League Division Series
NLCS
 National League Championship Series
MVP
 Most Valuable Player Award
CYA
 Cy Young Award
ROY
 Rookie of the Year Award
MOY
 Manager of the Year Award
CB POY
 Comeback Player of the Year Award
WS MVP
 World Series Most Valuable Player Award

Season-by-season results

World Series champions †
 National League champions *
 Division champions ^
 Wild card berth
(1994–present) ¤
Season Level League Division Finish Wins Losses Win% GB Post-season Awards
Montreal Expos
1969 MLB NL East 6th 52 110 .321 48
1970 MLB NL East 6th 73 89 .451 16 Carl Morton (ROY)[1]
1971 MLB NL East 5th 71 90 .441 25½
1972[a] MLB NL East 5th 70 86 .449 26½
1973 MLB NL East 4th 79 83 .488 3½
1974 MLB NL East 4th 79 82 .491 8½
1975 MLB NL East 5th 75 87 .463 17½
1976 MLB NL East 6th 55 107 .340 46
1977 MLB NL East 5th 75 87 .463 26 Andre Dawson (ROY)[1]
1978 MLB NL East 4th 76 86 .469 14
1979 MLB NL East 2nd 95 65 .594 2
1980 MLB NL East 2nd 90 72 .556 1
1981[b] MLB NL East ^ 3rd 30 25 .545 4 Won NLDS (Phillies) 3–2
Lost NLCS (Dodgers) 3–2[2]
1st 30 23 .566 —
1982 MLB NL East 3rd 86 76 .531 6
1983 MLB NL East 3rd 82 80 .506 8
1984 MLB NL East 5th 78 83 .484 18
1985 MLB NL East 3rd 84 77 .522 16½ Jeff Reardon (RMA)e
1986 MLB NL East 4th 78 83 .484 29½
1987 MLB NL East 3rd 91 71 .562 4 Buck Rodgers (MOY)[3]
1988 MLB NL East 3rd 81 81 .500 20
1989 MLB NL East 4th 81 81 .500 12
1990 MLB NL East 3rd 85 77 .525 10
1991 MLB NL East 6th 71 90 .441 26½
1992 MLB NL East 2nd 87 75 .537 9
1993 MLB NL East 2nd 94 68 .580 3
1994 MLB NL East 1st[c] 74 40 .649 — Season cancelled Felipe Alou (MOY)[3]
1995 MLB NL East 5th 66 78 .458 24
1996 MLB NL East 2nd 88 74 .543 8
1997 MLB NL East 4th 78 84 .481 23 Pedro Martínez (CYA, PCA) d [4]
1998 MLB NL East 4th 65 97 .401 41
1999 MLB NL East 4th 68 94 .420 35
2000 MLB NL East 4th 67 95 .414 28
2001 MLB NL East 5th 68 94 .420 20
2002 MLB NL East 2nd 83 79 .512 19
2003 MLB NL East 4th 83 79 .512 18
2004 MLB NL East 5th 67 95 .414 29
Washington Nationals
2005 MLB NL East 5th 81 81 .500 9 Chad Cordero (RMA)e
2006 MLB NL East 5th 71 91 .438 26
2007 MLB NL East 4th 73 89 .451 16 Dmitri Young (CPOY)[5]
2008 MLB NL East 5th 59 102 .366 32½
2009 MLB NL East 5th 59 103 .364 34
2010 MLB NL East 5th 69 93 .426 28
2011 MLB NL East 3rd 80 81 .497 21½
2012 MLB NL East ^ 1st 98 64 .605 — Lost NLDS (Cardinals) 3–2 Davey Johnson (MOY)[3]
Bryce Harper (ROY)[1]
2013 MLB NL East 2nd 86 76 .531 10
2014 MLB NL East ^ 1st 96 66 .593 — Lost NLDS (Giants) 3–1 Matt Williams (MOY)[6]
2015 MLB NL East 2nd 83 79 .512 7 Bryce Harper (MVP)
2016 MLB NL East ^ 1st 95 67 .586 — Lost NLDS (Dodgers) 3–2 Max Scherzer (CYA)[7]
2017 MLB NL East ^ 1st 97 65 .599 — Lost NLDS (Cubs) 3–2 Max Scherzer (CYA) [8]
2018 MLB NL East 2nd 82 80 .506 8
2019 MLB † NL * East 2nd ¤ 93 69 .574 4 Won NLWC (Brewers)
Won NLDS (Dodgers) 3–2
Won NLCS (Cardinals) 4–0
Won World Series (Astros) 4–3 † 		Stephen Strasburg (WS MVP)
2020 MLB NL East 4th 26 34 .433 9
2021 MLB NL East 5th 65 97 .401 23½
2022 MLB NL East 5th 55 107 .340 46
2023 MLB NL East 5th 71 91 .438 33

All-time records

Totals Wins Losses Win%
2755 2943 .484 All-time Montreal Expos regular season record (1969–2004)
5 5 .500 All-time Montreal Expos postseason record (1969–2004)
2760 2948 .484 All-time combined Montreal Expos regular and postseason record (1969–2004)
1439 1535 .484 All-time Washington Nationals regular season record (2005–2023)
19 17 .528 All-time Washington Nationals postseason record (2005–2023)
1458 1552 .484 All-time combined Washington Nationals regular and postseason record (2005–2023)
4194 4478 .484 All-time combined franchise regular season record (1969–2023)
24 22 .522 All-time combined franchise postseason record (1969–2023)
4218 4500 .484 All-time combined franchise regular and postseason record (1969–2023)

Record by decade

The following table describes the Expos′ (1969–2004) and Nationals′ (2005–2023) combined regular-season won–lost record by decade.

Decade Wins Losses Win %
1960s 52 110 .321
1970s 748 862 .465
1980s 811 752 .519
1990s 776 777 .500
2000s 711 908 .439
2010s 879 740 .543
2020s 217 329 .397
All-time 4194 4478 .484

These statistics are from Baseball-Reference.com's Washington Nationals History & Encyclopedia, and are current as of October 1, 2023.[9]

Post-season record by year

The Nationals have made the postseason six times in their history, with their first being in 1981 (as the Expos) and the most recent being in 2019.

Year Finish Round Opponent Result
1981 NL East Champions (second half) NLDS Philadelphia Phillies Won 3 2
NLCS Los Angeles Dodgers Lost 2 3
2012 NL East Champions NLDS St. Louis Cardinals Lost 2 3
2014 NL East Champions NLDS San Francisco Giants Lost 1 3
2016 NL East Champions NLDS Los Angeles Dodgers Lost 2 3
2017 NL East Champions NLDS Chicago Cubs Lost 2 3
2019 World Series Champions Wild Card Game Milwaukee Brewers Won 1 0
NLDS Los Angeles Dodgers Won 3 2
NLCS St. Louis Cardinals Won 4 0
World Series Houston Astros Won 4 3
6 Totals 5–5 24 22

Footnotes

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. 2013-06-22. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  2. ^ "1981 Montreal Expos". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
  3. ^ a b c "Manager of the Year Award Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. 2013-06-22. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  4. ^ "Most Valuable Player MVP Awards & Cy Young Awards Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  5. ^ Bill Ladson (2007-10-26). "Young honored by Players Association". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  6. ^ espn.go.com "Matt Williams named NL's top skipper"
  7. ^ "Most Valuable Player MVP Awards & Cy Young Awards Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  8. ^ "Most Valuable Player MVP Awards & Cy Young Awards Winners". Baseball-Reference.com. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  9. ^ "Washington Nationals History & Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-11-05.
  10. ^ Morgan, Joe (August 21, 2002). "Strike is no longer necessary". ESPN. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  11. ^ "Year in Review – 1981". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  12. ^ Zirin, David (August 18, 2004). "The MLB Strike – 25 Years in the Making". Buzzle editorials. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
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