Nationals' Top 5 relief pitchers: Camerato's take

June 8th, 2020

No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their careers while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only.

Here is Jessica Camerato¡¯s ranking of the Top 5 relievers in Nationals/Expos franchise history. Next week: Top manager(s).

? Nationals/Expos all-time team: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | RHP | LHP

1. Jeff Reardon, Expos (1981-86)
Key fact: Reardon is the franchise leader in saves (152).

Reardon played six of his 16 Major League seasons in Montreal. During that time, the right-hander pitched to a 2.84 ERA and garnered consecutive All-Star selections in 1985 and '86, the first of which also saw him earn the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award.

En route to earning the most saves in franchise history, Reardon led all of baseball with 41 in 1985. In that category during his tenure with the Expos, he never placed lower than sixth among NL pitchers, and his career mark of 367 ranks 10th all time.

Reardon earned two saves while finishing out three games in the 1981 NL Division Series against the Phillies, allowing one run, one hit and a walk in 4 1/3 innings.

Among pitchers in Nationals/Expos history with a minimum of 500 innings, Reardon¡¯s ERA ranks third behind Tim Burke and Max Scherzer. Along with a 8.3 bWAR in Montreal, Reardon is first in games finished with 281.

2. , Expos (1985-91)
Key fact: Burke owns the lowest ERA (2.61) among all franchise pitchers who threw a minimum of 500 innings.

Burke wore an Expos uniform in all but one of his eight seasons in the big leagues. In just his first year, the righty led NL hurlers by appearing in 78 games. That set the pace for Burke to become the franchise leader in games pitched (425) for Montreal.

Burke earned an All-Star nod in 1989, when he recorded a 2.55 ERA alongside a career-high 28 saves. All told, the Nebraska native went 43-26 over 600 1/3 innings. He also ranks second among franchise relievers with 228 games finished, and he is sixth in saves with 101. Burke compiled a 12.1 WAR with the Expos.

3. , Nationals (2017-present) and , Nationals (2019-present)
Key fact: Doolittle and Hudson anchored the bullpen for the Nationals' first World Series in franchise history.

This duo of relievers got the job done in historic fashion. Last year, Doolittle and Hudson combined to throw 20 postseason frames and earned six saves in the Nationals¡¯ World Series run.

Doolittle is tied for the eighth-most saves in Nationals-Expos history with 75. In 2019, the lefty led NL relievers in games finished with 55 and ranked sixth with a career-high 29 saves. Doolittle threw 1 1/3 perfect innings in both Game 1 of the NL Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series, helping set the tone for each matchup. Overall, he is 10-8 with a 2.87 ERA over 135 innings in 136 regular-season games with Washington.

In his first season with the Nationals, Hudson went 3-0 in 24 regular-season games with a 1.44 ERA over 25 innings. The image of him chucking his glove in celebration after recording the final out of the World Series is etched in Nats lore. In that deciding performance, Hudson struck out two of the three batters he faced and needed only 12 pitches to help Washington claim the title.

4. Mike Marshall, Expos (1970-73)
Key Fact: Marshall was named the Expos' Player of the Year by the BBWAA in '72 and '73.

Marshall holds franchise records among relievers in multiple categories. His 124 strikeouts in 1973 are the most in a single season, along with his 179 innings pitched and 92 appearances. Marshall is tied with Doolittle for eighth most saves (75) in franchise history, and he accumulated a 6.5 WAR and 2.94 ERA with Montreal.

5. Tyler Clippard, Nationals (2008-14)
Key fact: Clippard¡¯s 414 games are the second most by a pitcher in franchise history.

Clippard accumulated a 10.1 WAR, 2.68 ERA and 530 strikeouts in his seven years in Washington -- by far the most time the nomadic hurler has spent with one franchise. During that time, he picked up 34 saves and finished 88 games over 464 innings. Clippard's 28.5 strikeout rate trails only that of Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg among franchise pitchers (minimum of 300 innings).

The right-hander was named to his first All-Star team in 2011, a season in which he posted a 1.83 ERA and had the highest win probability added (5.2) in baseball. The following year, Clippard earned 10 saves in 12 games with no earned runs allowed in a remarkable month of June. He appeared in six postseason games for the Nationals in '12 and '14 and allowed just one run in six innings over those two first-round series combined.

Honorable mentions
? , Expos and Nationals (2003-08): Cordero made his Major League debut in 2003 with the Expos, and just two years later, as he moved across the border with the franchise, had a standout season. The right-hander earned his lone All-Star selection in '05 for a campaign in which he led MLB in saves and posted a 1.82 ERA. He also set franchise marks for most pre All-Star break saves (31) and tied an MLB mark with 15 saves in a single month in June.

As a franchise cult hero, Cordero went 20-14 with a 2.78 ERA and 128 saves (second in club history) over 320 2/3 frames in 305 games (all out of the bullpen, eighth in club history). He also had a 7.6 WAR.

? Mel Rojas, Expos (1990-96, '99): Rojas donned an Expos uniform to begin and conclude his 10-year Major League career. Over eight seasons in Montreal, he went 29-23, tallying a 3.11 ERA and 9.1 WAR over 512 1/3 innings. In 1992, his ERA was a career-best 1.43 across a career-high 100 2/3 innings.

Rojas, a right-hander, ranks fourth in franchise history in saves (109) and games pitched (388, all relief appearances). He also is eighth among all Nationals/Expos pitchers in ERA. Rojas signed with the Expos in May of 1999 to play in his final three big league games, and he was released that July.

? , Nationals (2010-15): Storen began his career with the Nationals, playing his first six years in Washington. He tossed 334 innings out of the bullpen for a 21-13 record, 3.02 ERA and 95 saves. Like Clippard, whom he shared the closer role with, Storen¡¯s strikeout percentage ranks high in franchise history. At 23.4 percent, he is sixth -- behind Pedro Martinez -- among the franchise's hurlers (minimum 300 innings).

In the postseason, the right-handed Storen earned the save in Game 1 and the win in Game 4 of the 2012 NLDS, but those performances were muddied when, staked to a 7-5 lead, he conceded four runs in the ninth inning of Game 5 to hand the series to the Cardinals. He finished five of the six playoff games he pitched for Washington in '12 and '14.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com