Who Joined Max Scherzer on Washington Nationals Pitching Mount Rushmore?

Which starting pitchers are on the Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos Mount Rushmore along with Max Scherzer?

Jul 18, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws to the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Nationals Park. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The current days Washington Nationals have some starting pitching issues. It is a long-term concern as MacKenzie Gore has not developed into the top-of-rotation ace the team had hoped for when he was acquired in the Juan Soto blockbuster.

Jake Irvin has been solid for the Nationals as their ace this season but has hit a rough spot the last few weeks. Rookie Mitchell Parker has had his moments, but it has become apparent that pitching help will be needed this offseason.

That has not always been the case for Washington. It wasn’t too long ago that they had some dominant hurlers taking the mound for them. Recently, Bleacher Report took a trip down memory lane highlighting some of those stars.

Kerry Miller put together a list of each team’s Mount Rushmore of starting pitchers from 1990 through today. Several factors were taken into account, with the pitchers who added the most value being ranked highly.

Coming in at No. 1 on the Nationals’ Mount Rushmore is Max Scherzer. In his Washington tenure, he took home two Cy Young awards and finished in the top five on four other occasions.

He was in the discussion as the best pitcher in baseball during some of his time with the Nationals. Originally signed to a seven-year, $210 million contract, Scherzer is one of the best free agent acquisitions in modern history.

The same cannot be said about the seven-year, $245 million deal that Washington agreed to with Stephen Strasburg in December of 2019. He made only six starts after that but cemented his legacy with the team during their 2019 World Series run.

His spot as No. 2 on the list was well earned as one of the most hyped and highly-anticipated prospects in baseball history. Coming in at No. 3 was Gio Gonzalez, someone whose contributions to the franchise is undervalued.

He had some incredible seasons with the Nationals, including leading the majors with 21 victories in 2012. Gonzalez helped put the franchise on the map during his tenure from 2012-2018.

Last but not least for the Washington Mount Rushmore is the only Montreal Expos representative; Pedro Martinez. He spent four seasons with the Expos and showcased just how incredible he can be.

His first of three Cy Young awards were won in 1997, his final season in Montreal. One of the most dominant pitchers of his time, Martinez was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2015.