Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman
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Ryan Zimmerman

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Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball infielder who spent his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Washington Nationals. Zimmerman was primarily a third baseman before moving to first base in 2015. He was twice selected as an MLB All-Star, won one Gold Glove and two Silver Slugger awards, and was member of the Nationals team that won the 2019 World Series.

Zimmerman graduated from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and played college baseball at the University of Virginia. He was selected in the first round as the fourth overall pick by the Nationals in the 2005 MLB draft and made his debut during the franchise’s inaugural season in Washington, D.C., remaining with the team through 2021.

Nicknamed Mr. National, Zimmerman was the franchise’s first-ever draft pick following its relocation to Washington and became the face of the team during its early years, serving as a central figure throughout its development into a contender. He set numerous franchise records and was known for his clutch hitting and walk-off hits, finishing his career with 11 walk-off home runs, one of the highest totals in Major League Baseball history.

Before college, Zimmerman played on an AAU team with B.J. Upton and David Wright. As a high schooler in 2000, he played on a "showcase team" with Wright, Mark Reynolds, and B.J. and Justin Upton.

Zimmerman played high school baseball as a shortstop at Floyd E. Kellam High School in Virginia Beach. Until late in his senior year, James Madison, Charlotte, and UNC Wilmington were the only Division I programs to show interest in him. He later received a scholarship offer from Virginia.

The Virginia native spent his 2003 summer with the Peninsula Pilots. He batted a team-best .331 with 47 hits, including eight doubles, a triple and a homer. He finished with 19 RBIs, 12 runs scored, 60 total bases, and 16 walks. Zimmerman's hits, total bases, and slugging percentage (.423) were Pilots team-highs that season. He was later named to the North CPL All-Star team, where he went 1-for-2. In 2006, the Coastal Plain League honored Zimmerman as a member of its All-Decade Team.

A three-year starting third baseman for the Virginia Cavaliers in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Zimmerman started in all 174 games he appeared in. His collegiate career statistics include 250 hits, 140 RBIs, 128 runs, 47 doubles, seven triples, and nine home runs. He was successful on 32 of 39 stolen base attempts. His career totals are among the top 10 in Virginia statistical categories for doubles (5th), hits (6th), and RBI (7th). Zimmerman established the school record of hits in a season with 90 in 2004, then broke his record with 92 in 2005.

In his final collegiate season, Zimmerman led the Cavaliers with a .393 average, .581 slugging percentage, 136 total bases, 92 hits, 59 RBIs, and 51 runs. He struck out just 14 times in the full season. Through August 2011, he was one of 29 former UVA players to have made it to the major leagues, along with Michael Schwimer, Javier López, and Mark Reynolds.

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