Washington Nationals to honor franchise hero Ryan Zimmerman by retiring #11 on June 18

The Washington Nationals have just announced that Nationals legend Ryan Zimmerman's jersey #11 will be retired on June 18. This is part of the Ryan Zimmerman Weekend the team has been promoting this offseason to celebrate the great career he had for the team.

Zimmerman has been one of the most popular players for the Nationals since the team moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005. The third baseman has been a member of the team for the entirety of his 16-year career. An honor such as this is much deserved for a player who has been so important to the franchise.

A young Ryan Zimmerman throws across to first base during a Atlanta Braves v Washington Nationals game

Washington Nationals player bio: Ryan Zimmerman

Zimmerman was the fourth-round draft pick of the Nationals in the 2005 MLB June Amateur Draft. He had played college ball for the University of Virginia. Zimmerman was the first player drafted by the Nationals in their history and made his Major League debut the same year he was drafted, on September 1, 2005, at the age of 20.

Ryan Zimmerman (left) and Juan Soto (right) during a Washington Nationals v Baltimore Orioles game

Ryan Zimmerman's career stats are quite impressive. This includes 1,799 games played, 284 home runs, 1,061 runs batted in, 1,846 hits, and a career .277 batting average. Zimmerman is the Nationals' all-time leader in home runs, RBIs, hits, doubles, games played, and total plate appearances.

While his debut occurred in 2005, he did not play in enough games to qualify as a rookie, and, therefore, his official rookie season took place in 2006. Zimmerman's rookie season would be good enough to place second in the Rookie of the Year voting. Zimmerman batted .287 with 20 home runs and 110 runs batted in while playing third base that year. This began many years of consistency for Zimmerman and the Nationals.

"No other player in Washington Nationals history will wear No. 11. It belongs to Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman." - @ Washington Nationals

Zimmerman would go on to appear in two All-Star games and win two Silver Slugger awards. His career included seven seasons of more than 20 home runs. In five of those seasons, he drove in more than 90 RBIs.

While Zimmerman had many individual achievements that are worthy of note, none of his achievements were bigger than the role he played in giving the franchise its first ever championship in 2019. The veteran leadership Zimmerman displayed was critical and played an integral part in the team’s postseason success.

Sean Doolittle (left), Trea Turner (center) and Ryan Zimmerman (right) celebrate thier World Series victory for the Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman will always be known as the original Washington National to many fans and will leave a special place in their memories. His jersey retirement is a celebration for both himself and the fans to illustrate how important he is to the franchise's history.