The Montreal Expos Become the Washington Nationals

On November 22, 2004, officials gathered inside Union Station in Washington, D.C. to announce the name, colors, and logo of the city's new baseball franchise. The former Montreal Expos would be called the Washington Nationals, wearing red, white, and blue, and playing in the National League East beginning in 2005.

The name carried deep history. Washington's original American League franchise had been called the Nationals (often shortened to "Nats") from 1905 to 1955, and the nickname "Senators" served as their popular alternate identity. The original Senators left for Minnesota after the 1960 season and became the Twins. An expansion team, also called the Senators, played in Washington from 1961 to 1971 before relocating to Texas as the Rangers. After more than three decades without baseball, Washington had a team again.

The Expos had spent their final years in Montreal as a neglected franchise. MLB took over ownership of the club in 2002 after previous owner Jeffrey Loria bought the Marlins. Attendance dwindled. The Expos played 22 "home" games in San Juan, Puerto Rico during 2003 and 2004. The relocation to Washington was approved on September 29, 2004, and the naming ceremony at Union Station made the transition official.

The Nationals played their first season at RFK Stadium in 2005 before moving to Nationals Park in 2008. Within 15 years, the franchise built a contender that won four consecutive NL East titles from 2012 to 2014 and captured the World Series in 2019, bringing a championship to Washington for the first time since the original Senators won the title in 1924.