Gulf Coast League Nationals

Gulf Coast League Nationals
Founded in 1969
(1969–1970, 1974, 1977, 1986–present)
West Palm Beach, Florida
Cap insignia
Class-level
Current Class Rookie League
Minor league affiliations
League Gulf Coast League
Division East Division
Major league affiliations
Current Washington Nationals (2005–present)
Previous Montreal Expos (1969–2004)
Minor league titles
League titles (4)
  • 1969
  • 1991
  • 2009
  • 2013
Division titles (6)
  • 1990
  • 1991
  • 1992
  • 1996
  • 2008
  • 2013
Team data
Nickname GCL Nationals
Previous names
 Gulf Coast League Expos (1969–2004)
Ballpark The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (2017–present)
Previous parks
 Washington Nationals Training Center
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
 Washington Nationals
Manager Josh Johnson

The Gulf Coast League Nationals, often called the GCL Nationals, are a rookie-level minor-league baseball team that is an affiliate of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. The team is a member of the Gulf Coast League and plays in West Palm Beach, Florida, at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents.

History

GCL Expos (1969–2004)

From 1969 to 2004, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Expos (or GCL Expos),[1] and was a minor-league affiliate of the National League's Montreal Expos. The Gulf Coast League Expos played in the Gulf Coast League from 1969 to 1970, in 1974, in 1977, and again from 1986 to 2004.

They were based in various Florida cities during these years: in Sarasota in 1969, in Bradenton in 1970, in Sarasota in 1974 and 1977, in Bradenton from 1986 to 1991, in West Palm Beach from 1992 to 1997, in Jupiter in 1998 and 1999, in Bradenton in 2000, in Jupiter in 2001, and in Melbourne from 2002 to 2004.

The team won two Gulf Coast League championships over the course of its history, the first in 1969 under manager J. W. Porter and the second in 1991 under manager Keith Snider.[2]

When the Montreal Expos left Montreal after the conclusion of the 2004 season and moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Nationals, the Gulf Coast League Expos became the Gulf Coast League Nationals, beginning play as such in the 2005 season.

GCL Nationals (2005–present)

When the Montreal Expos moved from Montreal to Washington, D.C., after the conclusion of the 2004 season to become the Washington Nationals, the Gulf Coast League Expos became the Gulf Coast League Nationals, beginning play as such in the 2005 season.

In 2013, the Gulf Coast League Nationals finished their regular season with a record of 49-9. This .845 winning percentage was the highest winning percentage for a full regular season ever achieved by a minor-league baseball team based in the United States. The only minor-league baseball team to have a better winning percentage over a full regular season anywhere in the world was the Toronto Blue Jays' 1992 Dominican Summer League team based in the Dominican Republic, which finished at 68-2 with a .971 winning percentage.[3] The Nationals then won all three of their playoff games, defeating the Gulf Coast League Pirates in a single-game semifinal playoff and sweeping the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in the best-of-three league championship series, to become the 2013 Gulf Coast League champions.[4][5]

The Gulf Coast League Nationals pulled off a historic feat on July 23, 2017, no-hitting the Gulf Coast League Marlins in both ends of a double-header.[6][7] Four Nationals pitchers appeared in the two seven-inning games. In the first game, which the Nationals won 4–0, Joan Baez pitched six innings, striking out seven and retiring the last 14 batters he faced, and Jose Jimenez pitched the final inning. In the second game, a 1–0 Nationals win, Jaren Johnson pitched the first four innings in his seventh professional appearance and second professional start, and Gilberto Chu relieved him to finish the game with with three no-hit innings.[7]

Roster

Gulf Coast League Nationals roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 53 Sean Adler
  • 54 Tomas Alastre
  • 94 Joan Baez
  • 38 Daniel Butler
  • 61 Gilberto Chu
  • 96 Tim Collins (baseball)
  • 69 Wil Crowe
  • 60 Jose De Los Santos
  • 59 Nelson Galindez
  • 45 Jhonatan German
  • 29 Angel Guillen
  • 68 Darly Infante
  • 65 Jose Jimenez
  • 55 Jared Johnson
  • 53 Francys Peguero
  • 37 Malvin Pena
  • 48 Nector Ramirez
  • 52 Seth Romero
  • -- Jackson Stoeckinger
  • 57 Leif Strom
  • 49 Trey Turner
  • 41 Ryan Williamson

Catchers

  • 22 Jose Cabello
  • 27 Alex Dunlap
  •  4 Joey Harris
  • 20 Israel Pineda
  • -- Anthony Peroni

Infielders

  •  5 Yasel Antuna
  • 30 Jamori Blash
  • 32 Adalberto Carrillo
  •  3 Phil Caulfield
  • 25 Jackson Cramer
  •  7 Luis García
  • 19 Juan Pascal
  •  8 Jose Sanchez

Outfielders

  • 11 Justin Connell
  •  2 Juan Evangelista
  • 17 Santo Falcon
  • 16 Ricardo Mendez
  • 21 Luis Perdomo
  • 10 Eric Senior
  • 15 Edwin Ventura

Manager

  •  1 Josh Johnson

Coaches


7-day disabled list
* On Washington Nationals 40-man roster
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporary inactive list
Roster updated June 30, 2017
Transactions
→ More MiLB rosters
→ Washington Nationals minor league players

Season-by-season results

References

  1. ↑ GCL Expos - BR Bullpen
  2. ↑ Baseball Reference
  3. ↑ Wagner, James, "Nationals GCL Team Sets a Minor League Record," washingtonpost.com, August 29, 2013.
  4. ↑ DiPietro, Lou, "Baby Bombers 2013 Playoff Log: One and Done for the GCL Yankees," yesnetwork.com, August 30, 2013
  5. ↑ Dykstra, Sam, "Nationals capture GCL championship," September 1, 2013
  6. ↑ "Nationals' rookie league team pitches two no-hitters in doubleheader vs. Marlins". USA Today. July 23, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Boor, William, "GCL Nats Throw Back-to-Back No-Nos in DH," mlb.com, July 23, 2017.
  8. ↑ "GCL Expos". Baseball Reference Bullpen. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  9. ↑ "GCL Nationals". Baseball Reference Bullpen. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
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