On October 30th of 2019, the Washington Nationals won their first ever World Series title. In the nearly 7 years that have passed, a lot has changed. There are no members of that roster still on the team, at least in a playing capacity. I wanted to take a look at where the starters from game 7 of the World Series are now.
Catcher:Yan Gomes
As is the case for most of the starters, Yan Gomes is now retired. The Nats were the oldest team in the league back in 2019. Only three of the nine hitters in the game seven lineup actually played in 2026.
Gomes was part of a catching tandem with Kurt Suzuki in 2019, but the Brazilian got the nod in game seven due to his defense. After an All-Star campaign in 2018, Gomes was traded to the Nats. He was not great with the bat in 2019, but he played very good defense. Gomes did not have many memorable moments in the Nats playoff run, but he was a steady hand behind the plate.
He was on the team in 2020 and 2021, where his offensive production actually improved. Gomes was one of many Nationals who was shipped out at the 2021 trade deadline. He spent half a season in Oakland before playing the last three years of his career with the Cubs. Gomes was never a star, but he was a solid catcher for a long time.
For the most part, Gomes seems to be spending his time as a family man. However, we did see him as the catching coach for Team Brazil at the last WBC. Maybe he follows the same path as fellow 2019 Nats catcher Kurt Suzuki and becomes a manager one day.
First Base:Ryan Zimmerman
The first baseman for the 2019 Nats was none other than Mr. National himself. Ryan Zimmerman is a National through and through. He was the team's first ever draft pick and debuted only months after being selected as a 20 year old. As we all know, Zimmerman went on to be the Nats first ever homegrown star. For years, he was DC's hidden gem.
Zimmerman was around for the bad times and the good times. At this point in his career, Zimmerman was an injury prone 34 year old who was past his prime. He missed most of 2019 due to foot injuries. However, he came back in September and his bat heated up. The veteran provided several big post season home runs, including a shot against Gerrit Cole. In game 7, Zimmerman went one for three with a walk.
Following 2019, Zimmerman sat out the 2020 Pandemic season before having one last dance in 2021. Employee number 11 went off into the sunset after that. He is still very involved with the organization, making public appearances and occasionally joining the broadcast team. Getting Zimmerman a World Series title truly cemented his status as a Nats legend. Number 11 will never be worn by a National again.
Second Base:Asdrubal Cabrera
Asdrubal Cabrera is a bit of an unsung hero for the 2019 Nats. After an underwhelming spell with the Rangers, Cabrera was cut loose. The Nats picked him up and the veteran infielder found new life. In 38 games with the Nats, Cabrera drove in 40 runs while hitting .323 with a .969 OPS. He was not as impactful in October, but his hot run helped the Nats lock up a Wild Card spot.
Like many of these guys, Cabrera was in his 30's and on the back 9 of his career. However, he had enough gas in the tank to make one more run. The Nats brought back the veteran second baseman for 2020, where he was solid but nothing special. After that, Cabrera played one more season before hanging up the cleats.
I have not heard much from Cabrera since then. He got into a crazy brawl in a Venezuelan winter league game, which earned him a long suspension. Since then, Cabrera has gotten into coaching.
Cabrera was the manager for a Venezuelan League team this past season. Just this past week, he was named the manager of Guerreros de Oaxaca in the Mexican League. Good luck to Asdrubal in his coaching journey!
Shortstop:Trea Turner
Now we are getting to a heavy hitter. Trea Turner is the first player here who is still an active player. The Nats shortstop was in his age 26 season at the time, and had a very good year despite playing through a finger injury. However, Turner's best years came after the World Series.
In 2020 and 2021, Turner became an MVP caliber performer for the Nats. However, the Nats were unable to remain competitive during that time. That meant Turner was shipped to LA along with Max Scherzer at the 2021 deadline. We have talked about that trade at length on this site. Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray have had their moments, but neither have developed as expected.
Turner continued to be a star with the Dodgers. In a bigger market, Turner began to get the recognition that he deserved. After the 2022 season, Turner signed an 11-year $300 million contract with the Phillies to reunite with old teammate Bryce Harper.
Turner has had his up's and downs in Philly. He started very slowly before a red hot finish in 2023. Turner was one of the best shortstops in the game in 2024 and 2025 before having an abysmal year this season. At 33 years old, was this a blip on the radar or the beginning of the end for the speedy shortstop?
Third Base:Anthony Rendon
Anthony Rendon was the best National in 2019. He was third in MVP voting and posted an OPS over 1.000. In the playoffs, Rendon was a hero for the Nats. Whenever the Nats needed a big hit, Rendon would deliver. He was cool as ice and the moment was never too big for him.
In game 7 of the World Series, Rendon hit the home run that got everything started. He also ignited the Nats' rally in game 5 of the NLCS. The impending free agent had about as good of a walk year as you could imagine. After the World Series, Rendon signed a 7-year $245 million contract with the Angels.
It is easy to forget now, but the first year of that deal went very well. Rendon was top 10 in AL MVP voting and played 52 of 60 games. However, the deal was an absolute disaster from there. Rendon's play fell off a cliff due to injuries and questionable commitment. He never played more than 58 games in a season with LA.
Rendon was never the most passionate about baseball, but that was no problem because he was producing. With age and injuries getting the best of him, that commitment became a massive issue. He became one of the villains of the league and his legacy outside of DC is pretty tarnished. However, he will always be remembered fondly by Nats fans. Nowadays he is living with his family and out of the spotlight, like he always wanted.
Left Field:Juan Soto
The Nats young phenom turned 21 during the World Series. On an old Nationals roster, he was the young star. After breaking out as a 19 year old rookie, Soto continued to establish himself as one of the game's elite hitters at 20 years old. He hit 34 homers and posted an OPS of .949. Soto also had several huge playoff moments that Nats fans will never forget.
In the seasons that followed, Soto only got better. He finished top 5 in MVP voting back to back seasons in 2020 and 2021. However, with the Nats in a deep rebuild, they had to make a choice with Soto. First they tried to extend the generational talent, but after that failed, they made the painful decision to trade him.
The Juan Soto trade to the Padres gave the Nats their young core of the future, but it came at the cost of a future hall of famer. It sucked, but it turned out to be the right move with the Nats acquiring CJ Abrams, James Wood, MacKenzie Gore and more.
Soto only lasted a year and a half in San Diego before being traded again, this time to the Yankees. He had the best year of his career in the Bronx, forming a dynamic duo with Aaron Judge. Those two powered the Yankees to the AL Pennant before falling short to the Dodgers.
After that, Soto entered free agency where he signed an historic 15-year $765 million deal with the Mets. He has been highly productive in Queens, but the team has not made the playoffs in either of Soto's first two years. Soto, who turned 28 yesterday, remains one of the game's shining stars.
Center Field:Victor Robles
When they were coming up as prospects, Victor Robles was actually more highly touted than Juan Soto. Scouts valued his 5 tool skillset very highly. Robles had cups of coffee in 2017 and 2018, but 2019 was his first full big league season. He was actually very good, showing about average hitting ability with elite center field defense, which gave him a 4.2 WAR season.
During the playoffs, Robles and Michael A. Taylor split time due to the Dominican suffering a minor injury. However, it was Robles who got the start in game 7. He got a hit in game 7, but he was not a huge offensive factor in October. However, he did look like a future building block for the Nats.
Robles was a really frustrating player after 2019 though. His 2020 season was ruined by an attempt to pack on muscle. The former top prospect was ineffective on both sides of the ball in 2021 and made a lot of boneheaded mistakes. His defense bounced back in 2022, but the bat remained very poor.
By 2024, it was clear he needed a change of scenery. Robles was cut by the Nats and signed with Seattle. He had a resurgence in Seattle after getting picked up, hitting .328 that season. Robles has been a mediocre 4th outfielder the past couple years though. We will see what the future holds for Robles, who enters free agency as a 29 year old.
Right Field:Adam Eaton
Adam Eaton was actually one of the Nats best hitters in the World Series. That included game 7, with Eaton's two run double giving the Nats insurance. In that 2019 season, Eaton was the definition of solid, with 15 homers and a .792 OPS.
The Nats paid a big price to bring Eaton over from the White Sox. Mike Rizzo gave up Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and more to acquire Eaton, who was coming off a career year in 2016. However, after a knee injury in 2017, his athleticism was never the same. He could still hit, but his elite defense went away. Eaton remained a solid player in 2018 and 2019 though.
However, Eaton suffered an inexplicable fall-off in 2020 and 2021. After a dreadful 2020 season, Eaton was off the Nats. He only played one more season before retiring at just 32.
Like many of these players, Eaton went into coaching. He was the director of player development for Michigan State, before becoming Kurt Suzuki's first base coach with the Angels. With Suzuki gone, we will see what the future holds for Eaton in Anaheim.
DH:Howie Kendrick
Finally, we will discuss the hero of Game 7, Howie Kendrick. Of course, it was his 2-run homer that banged off the foul pole that gave the Nats a lead they would not relinquish. Kendrick also hit the series deciding grand slam in the NLDS. He also won NLCS MVP, so it was a great playoff run for Howie.
Like so many of these guys, this was Kendrick's last great season. After an achilles injury ended his 2018 season, Kendrick came back better than ever in 2019. He hit .344 with a .966 OPS in 121 games. At 35, Kendrick had the best offensive season of his stellar career. He was just a hitting maestro that year.
After that magical season, age caught up to Kendrick. He was mediocre in 2020 before hanging up the cleats. It is crazy how many of these old guys had just enough gas in the tank to get over the line in 2019.
Kendrick is still involved in baseball. He is a special assistant to the GM for the Phillies. There are a lot of former Nats in Philly, but Kendrick is one you might now know about. He was not in DC for too long, but Howie Kendrick's 2019 season made him a Nats legend.
