Long-time Phillies killer Ryan Zimmerman retiring

Ryan Zimmerman — who is one of the biggest Philadelphia Phillies killers of the last 25 years — announced Tuesday in a release from his representation at CAA that he’s retiring after 16 seasons with the Washington Nationals.

The 37-year-old spent his entire career with the Nationals, who selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. Zimmerman was actually the first draft pick made by the Nationals after they relocated from Montreal.

Zimmerman debuted at age 20 in 2005, the first season of play for the Nationals. To this point, he’s appeared in every season that the Nationals have ever played, with the pandemic-shortened 2020 season being the exception because he elected to opt out.

The corner infielder will finish his career with a .277/.341/.475 slash line, 284 home runs and 1,061 RBIs. While Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper are probably the best players to play for the team in their brief time as the Nationals, if anyone will be remembered as “Mr. National,” it’s Zimmerman.

A two-time All-Star, Zimmerman homered 27 times against the Phillies in his career, while driving in 115 runs against them. However, Brad Lidge induced a double-play ball off Zimmerman’s bat to help the Phillies clinch the 2008 National League East title, en route to winning the franchise’s second World Series:

Ryan Zimmerman killed the Phillies in just about every at-bat he had against them. Ultimately, though, he’ll be remembered in Philadelphia for the moment he didn’t. pic.twitter.com/JPFCSWgD6l

— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) February 15, 2022

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