Jordan Zimmermann

Lore & Background

Jordan Zimmermann was drafted by the Nationals in the second round of the 2007 MLB draft out of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, a small Division III school. He quickly rose through the minor leagues, making his major league debut in 2009. His early career was marked by Tommy John surgery in 2009, but he returned stronger, developing into a reliable workhorse. By 2012, Zimmermann was the staff ace, posting a 2.94 ERA and anchoring a rotation that included Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, helping lead the Nationals to their first National League East title in franchise history.

In Their Own Story

The late September sun cast long shadows across the diamond as Zimmermann toed the rubber. The crowd, already on its feet, sensed something sacred. Each pitch was a quiet thunderclap, the catcher's mitt a drum. In the ninth, a deep breath, a windup, and a fastball painted the outside corner. The umpire's fist shot up. Strike three. The stadium erupted, a wave of sound that washed over the pitcher's mound as Zimmermann was mobbed by his teammates, a stoic smile breaking through. For one perfect afternoon, he was the quiet heartbeat of a city.

Reader's Guide

Jordan Zimmermann pitched for the Washington Nationals from 2009 to 2015, an era that saw the franchise transform from a rebuilding team into a National League powerhouse. His playing style was defined by command over power: a low-90s fastball, a sharp slider, and a devastating curveball that he could locate with surgical precision. He was not a strikeout artist but a ground-ball machine who worked efficiently deep into games.

His greatest achievements include throwing the first no-hitter in Nationals history on September 28, 2014, a 1-0 gem against the Miami Marlins. He was a two-time National League All-Star (2013, 2014) and finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting in 2013 and seventh in 2014. He also started and won Game 2 of the 2012 National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the first playoff win for the Nationals since moving to Washington.

Zimmermann's legacy is that of a homegrown ace who embodied the franchise's rise. He left after the 2015 season as a free agent, but his no-hitter remains one of the most cherished moments in Nationals history, a symbol of the team's arrival as a contender.

Did You Know?

• Jordan Zimmermann threw the first no-hitter in Washington Nationals history on September 28, 2014, against the Miami Marlins.
• He was drafted in the second round of the 2007 MLB draft out of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, a Division III school.
• Zimmermann underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2009, missing most of the 2010 season, but returned to become the Nationals' ace.
• He was a two-time National League All-Star, representing the Nationals in 2013 and 2014.