WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Before his team took the field for the first official full-squad workout of the spring, Davey Martinez gathered everyone together this morning for his first “Circle of Trust” meeting of the spring.

No, there weren’t any camels. Nor any other live animals. Yet. (There’s still five weeks of camp to go, of course.)

There was, however, a message from the manager that didn’t resemble any of the previous seven camp-opening messages he has delivered during his time here. Martinez’s first four teams were veteran-laden squads that expected to win big. His last three teams were firmly in the rebuilding category, with long-term development taking precedence over short-term success.

The tone this year, Martinez believes, should be different.

“I hear a lot about how our core guys are going to be really good, and they’re coming. I don’t really want to hear that anymore,” he said. “I told them today: ‘We’re here. This is the core. These are the guys we anticipated would be here. You guys are here. You got your feet wet. It’s time to go out there and perform every day, go 1-0 every day.’

And so we have reached the final installment of a series 20 years in the making. It’s time to reveal the five greatest players in Nationals history. Thanks again to everyone who has read and commented on the previous editions. It’s always great to hear the diverse set of opinions on such a fun topic. For those who haven’t read them yet, here are links to the articles on Nos. 16-20, Nos. 11-15 and Nos. 6-10.

These final five share a lot of things in common. Every one of them excelled while in Washington, all of them performing not only at an All-Star level but at times a Hall of Fame level. All played here for at least parts of five seasons, two of them for more than a decade. Four were homegrown, one acquired in a massive free agent deal. Most importantly, all five played in and were significant contributors to the first World Series title in franchise history.

There will be plenty of discussion about the final order selected below. There’s a reasonable case for everyone from this group to rank anywhere in the top five. In the end, it came down to a combination of excellence, longevity and legacy …

NO. 5 – JUAN SOTO
Outfielder, 2018-22
Stats: 565 G, 2439 PA, 1954 AB, 399 R, 569 H, 108 2B, 9 3B, 119 HR, 358 RBI, 38 SB, 14 CS, 464 BB, 414 SO, .291 AVG, .427 OBP, .538 SLG, .966 OPS, 159 OPS+, 21.3 bWAR, 21.0 fWAR

Soto didn’t come out of nowhere; the Nationals gave him a $1.5 million bonus when they signed him at 16 out of the Dominican Republic. And they always knew he had elite hitting skills and a patient eye to go along with it. But his rise to the majors was shockingly quick. In the span of three weeks in April-May 2018, he was promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg to the big leagues. And then immediately thrived and never looked back.

NEW YORK – While still slowly progressing in their respective rehabs, Trevor Williams and Joey Gallo are both still a ways away from returning off the injured list for the Nationals.

Williams landed on the 15-day IL on June 4 (retroactive to June 1) with a right flexor muscle strain, a similar injury to what has kept Josiah Gray sidelined for the last three months. Although the right-hander finally began throwing recently, he’s still not near the point of throwing from a mound, nevertheless facing live hitters and starting a rehab assignment.

“No, the same,” said manager Davey Martinez when asked if there is an update on Williams ahead of this series opener against the Mets. “He's still progressing. It's going to be a process. But he's throwing up to like 60 feet and he's getting better.”

Williams was the Nats’ best starter over the first two months of the season: In 11 starts, he went 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.076 WHIP, while the Nats went 9-2 in those games. After struggling last year, the 32-year-old had made himself the team’s top trade chip ahead of this month’s deadline.

But now it’s unlikely Williams will be able to return to major league mound ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

Most members of the 2019 Nationals enjoyed long, distinguished careers, playing for multiple franchises and experiencing personal highs and lows along the way. None of them, though, ever played for a team quite like that one.

Because of how the season ended, yes. But also because of the bond they all created along the way.

“I’d still be playing if we had that group in 2019 over and over again,” said Brian Dozier, who retired in 2021. “It was a great group.”

The members of the franchise’s first World Series roster are forever connected, and when they gathered back at Nationals Park this weekend for the five-year celebration of that achievement, they were instantly transported back to the greatest season of their lives.

Twelve players from that roster were in attendance, including alumni Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Adam Eaton, Kurt Suzuki, Aníbal Sánchez, Sean Doolittle, Gerardo Parra, Javy Guerra and Dozier. Many of the 10 players still actively playing elsewhere sent in video messages. All received rousing ovations from the crowd that assembled to celebrate a championship in a way that wasn’t possible in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions.

It’s been noted many times before the Nationals never got to enjoy the traditional “victory lap” that comes the season after a team wins a championship, because the 2020 season was delayed, condensed and played in empty ballparks due to COVID-19.

Nearly five years later, the club will attempt to make up for lost time with an anniversary weekend celebration of the 2019 World Series champs.

With the Astros in town for a three-game interleague series, it only made sense to revisit that epic series now, even if five full years have yet to pass and this is only the second homestand of the current season. So the weekend will feature a number of special events and giveaways, plus the return of several members of the championship roster and coaching staff.

Tonight’s series opener features a postgame fireworks show, with a distinct 2019 theme to it. The first 20,000 fans to attend Saturday’s game will receive a replica World Series ring and have the opportunity to listen to Q&A sessions with players and coaches. And Sunday’s finale, geared toward kids, includes a 2019 World Series viewing toy for the first 8,000 fans 12 and under, plus autograph sessions with several alumni.

The list of scheduled attendees includes the five members of the World Series roster who either still play or coach for the Nationals: Patrick Corbin, Sean Doolittle, Gerardo Parra, Tanner Rainey and Victor Robles. Seven retired players from the team are also scheduled to appear: Brian Dozier, Adam Eaton, Javy Guerra, Howie Kendrick, Anibal Sanchez, Kurt Suzuki and Ryan Zimmerman.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Employee No. 11 reported for work this week at Nationals camp. The number of players left who actually were teammates with Ryan Zimmerman is dwindling, but the franchise icon still has a commanding presence when he walks into the clubhouse or onto a practice field, players young and old alike recognizing his significance.

Now entering his third season in retirement, Zimmerman wants to start taking a more hands-on role with the only organization that ever employed him. His official title is “special advisor for baseball and business operations.” His unofficial role: Be there to offer any and all insight he can. Not only to players and coaches, but also to front office members and even ownership.

“I know nothing about the other side,” the former star corner infielder said. “That’s my goal this year: To continue doing what I’m doing with the players, especially the young guys, but also for myself learn the ins and outs of the other side and become more knowledgeable, so that I can have better suggestions. It’s a learning year.”

What does that look like in practical terms? Zimmerman spends his mornings in uniform, working individually or in groups with players. He then spends his afternoons in meeting rooms with Nats coaches, general manager Mike Rizzo and his lieutenants. In the evenings, he might take some younger players out to dinner, getting to know them better and getting them to start building the kind of camaraderie with each other he insists is critical to team success.

The past two springs, Zimmerman would spend a week here. But with his family tagging along, his time and duties were pulled in opposite directions. This spring, the rest of the family stayed home in Northern Virginia, freeing him up to fully immerse himself in baseball again. He hopes to be more of a regular presence at Nationals Park during the season, as well.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Some news and notes from Wednesday at Nationals spring training …

* Defense and baserunning again were at the top of the list on the second day of full-squad workouts, with an emphasis on some different areas of each skill.

As he did Tuesday, manager Davey Martinez opened the session by personally leading the baserunning instruction. After guiding all players through the club’s expectations out of the batter’s box and then at first base the previous day, he had everyone gather at second and then third base this morning to go over proper technique.

Tuesday’s defensive work covered popups and fly balls, and the communication required to make sure every one is caught by somebody. Today’s drill covered balls that land in the outfield for hits, with outfielders tracking them down in the corners or the gaps and infielders assuming proper positioning for relays under each situation as called out by field coordinator Bob Henley.

Notable alignments among the first-teamers who ran through the defensive drill together: Both Victor Robles and Alex Call were in center field, with Jacob Young part of the second team; Carter Kieboom joined Nick Senzel at third base; and Joey Gallo joined Lane Thomas in right field for the outfield drills, then sprinted in to join Joey Meneses at first base for infield drills, showing off his versatility.

The Nationals have existed for 18 seasons now, but to date there’s only one Hall of Famer who played for them: Ivan Rodriguez.

And though 13 former Nats players have appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot, the vast majority of them were never really thought of as Nationals: Rick Ankiel, Brad Lidge, Matt Stairs, Aaron Boone, Paul Lo Duca, Alfonso Soriano, Mike Stanton, Royce Clayton, Vinny Castilla, Lenny Harris, Carlos Baerga and of course Jonathan Papelbon.

You can make a case for Adam Dunn and Livan Hernandez having made a name for themselves as Nationals, but Dunn still is thought of more as a Red and Hernandez is forever linked to the Marlins team he helped win a World Series title.

This year, though, we finally get a legitimate former National on the Hall of Fame ballot: Jayson Werth.

Though he debuted with the Blue Jays and Dodgers, then won a championship with the Phillies, Werth wound up spending the entire second half of his career in Washington. He’s fifth all-time in games played (808), plate appearances (3,427), hits (781) and RBIs (393) for the Nationals, fourth in runs scored (450), sixth in home runs (109).

As the World Series shifts back to Houston to wrap up the 2022 major league season, the Arizona Fall League enters the last week of its short campaign.

The final week of the AFL kicks off this weekend with the 16th annual Fall Stars Game, and two Nationals prospects were chosen to the National League roster: catcher Drew Millas and right-hander Orlando Ribalta.

Millas, the 24-year-old acquired by the Nationals at the 2021 trade deadline as part of a three-prospect package from the Athletics in exchange for Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison, has had an impressive month in Arizona. He leads the Peoria Javelinas with a .314 average, .529 slugging percentage, .862 OPS and five doubles. He has also hit two homers with 13 RBIs and a .333 on-base percentage in 13 games.

The No. 30 prospect in the Nats system, per MLB Pipeline, rose through the minor league ranks this summer. Starting the season with Single-A Fredericksburg, he earned two promotions to Double-A Harrisburg after two stops at High-A Wilmington.

Between the three affiliates, Millas slashed .225/.340/.350 with a .690 OPS, 14 doubles, two triples, six homers, 36 RBIs, eight stolen bases and 51 walks.

While speaking to reporters in New York a few days ago to wrap up the 2022 regular season, general manager Mike Rizzo said this year was a “disappointment” for the Nationals.

That should be a given after the Nats finished with the worst record in the major leagues at 55-107, setting a new club record for the most losses in a single season.

When we look back on the 2022 Nationals season, we probably won’t do so fondly. There was a lot of bad. But there was also some good. Put them both together and you get a memorable season for better or worse.

Looking at some of the final results, it is mostly bad. As bad as we’ve ever seen in Washington baseball.

At no point during the regular season did the Nationals reach the .500 mark. Their longest winning streak was only three games, which they accomplished five times. Their longest losing streak was nine games from July 7-16. They never swept a series and were swept 12 times. They were shut out 12 times and only shut out their opponents four times. They were walked off five times and only walked off twice, both not coming until September. And they by far had the worst run differential in the majors at -252.

It was a glorious day to celebrate Ryan Zimmerman on South Capitol Street. It was unseasonably warm for mid-June at 76 degrees with low humidity, albeit 17 mph winds moving from left field to right.

Not a cloud in the sky as 42,730 fans packed Nationals Park to watch Zimmerman’s No. 11 become the first number ever retired by the club. But after all of the celebrations, tribute videos, speeches and the actual ceremony to honor the franchise’s past, the current Nationals team took the field in an attempt to give Zimmerman a victory on his special day.

“Today was good. The ceremony was unbelievable," said Davey Martinez, who was involved during the pregame ceremony himself. "I mean, it's amazing."

Unfortunately, the 2022 Nationals look more like the teams from Zimmerman’s early years, not like the winning teams he led for most of the past decade. This team was also trying to snap multiple losing streaks: They have lost seven straight games since Sunday. They have lost 12 straight to National League East rivals. And they have lost 11 in a row to these Phillies.

All of those streaks continued with today’s 2-1 extra-inning loss on Ryan Zimmerman Day in front of a sellout crowd, the largest attendance of the season. The deciding run came on Rhys Hoskins’ pinch-hit RBI single to score the automatic runner in the 10th off Reed Garrett.

It’s not any easy task asked of Josiah Gray tonight. To face the team that traded him and his catcher, Keibert Ruiz, away last summer and also boasts one of the best lineups in the major leagues.

But that’s what manager Davey Martinez is going to ask of the young right-hander as the Nationals face the Dodgers in the second game of a three-game series on South Capitol Street.

Gray and Ruiz, of course, were the top two prospects included in the four-player package sent from Los Angeles to Washington in exchange for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner last summer. That deal comes full circle this week in the Dodgers’ first trip to D.C. since the blockbuster trade.

On the hill at the start of the game will be Gray, with Ruiz behind the plate and batting second for the third straight game. Batting third in top of the first inning will be Turner, in the Dodgers’ gray uniform.

Ruiz and Turner had their time to soak in the moment of playing their former clubs yesterday. Gray gets his chance tonight, with Martinez hoping he stays focused.

The reunion tour continues tonight at Nats Park when the Nationals and Dodgers play the second game of this three-game set.

Monday night saw Trea Turner and Daniel Hudson return to D.C. for the first time since last summer’s selloff (although Hudson didn’t enter the game). Tonight, it will be Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz’s turn to face off against their former team together. While Gray takes the mound for the first time against the Dodgers, Ruiz went 0-for-4 last night in his first action against L.A.

Gray went 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in eight innings over two appearances (one start) with the Dodgers last year before getting shipped off to Washington as part of the four-player package in exchange for Max Scherzer and Turner. In 20 career starts with the Nats, he’s 6-5 with a 4.92 ERA and 1.311 WHIP, including 4-3 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.269 WHIP in eight starts this season.

The Dodgers will counter with right-hander Walker Buehler, who is now tied with teammate Tyler Anderson (and six others, including Scherzer) in the league lead with five wins after the left-hander’s dominant performance on South Capitol Street last night. Buehler has the 11th-best ERA in the National League at 2.89 and is 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA in four career outings (three starts) against the Nats.

César Hernández is back in the leadoff spot after Lane Thomas led off last night. Thomas is in center field and batting eighth. We will check on Victor Robles after he came out of the Monday's game with a calf cramp.

You’ll see a familiar face in the MASN booth tonight, as Ryan Zimmerman will join Bob Carpenter, Kevin Frandsen and Dan Kolko for tonight’s broadcast. Pregame coverage starts with “Nats Xtra” at 6:30 p.m., followed by a scheduled first pitch at 7:05 p.m., all on MASN2.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 60 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right-center field

NATIONALS
2B César Hernández
C Keibert Ruiz
RF Juan Soto
DH Nelson Cruz
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
3B Maikel Franco
CF Lane Thomas
SS Dee Strange-Gordon

RHP Josiah Gray

DODGERS
RF Mookie Betts
1B Freddie Freeman
SS Trea Turner
C Will Smith
2B Max Muncy
3B Justin Turner
DH Edwin Ríos
CF Chris Taylor
LF Gavin Lux

RHP Walker Buehler

On behalf of an entire generation of Nationals fans, I want to congratulate Ryan Zimmerman on his retirement and say thank you.

If you're around my age, growing up a baseball fan in the Washington, D.C., area was complicated.

I've spent all of my almost 30 years of living in and around our nation's capital. I went to grade school in Silver Spring, Md., high school downtown at Gonzaga College High School and college at the University of Maryland in College Park.

As an avid sports fan, I've rooted for the now Washington Commanders, Capitals and Wizards my entire life, along with any team that's represented my city. The Mystics, D.C. United and Spirit have all won championships. I rooted for the Valor as they won the last ArenaBowl of the defunct Arena Football League. I went to all but one of the DC Defenders' home games of the former XFL. I even try to keep up with the Kastles and Old Glory DC in their respective tennis and rugby leagues.

But baseball is harder to explain.