Florida Complex League Nationals
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The Florida Complex League Nationals are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Washington Nationals, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Nationals. The team plays its home games in West Palm Beach, Florida, at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches. The team previously played at Space Coast Stadium from their inaugural 2005 season through the end of the 2016 season. 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 and was a minor league affiliate of the Montreal Expos. The team played in the Gulf Coast League from 1969 to 1970, in 1974, in 1977, and again from 1986 to 2004.
The team was 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.
GCL Nationals (2005–2020)
After the 2004 season, when the Montreal Expos relocated and became 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 team 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 team to have a better winning percentage over a full regular season 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. 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.
The team pulled off a historic feat on July 23, 2017, no-hitting the Gulf Coast League Marlins in both ends of a double-header. 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 three no-hit innings.
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being canceled on June 30.
FCL Nationals (2021–present)
Prior to the 2021 season, the Gulf Coast League was renamed as the Florida Complex League.
Roster
| Players | Coaches/Other |
|---|---|
| Pitchers -- Ty Bothwell 48 Leodarlyn Colon -- James Colyer 56 Jose Feliz 45 Clarence Martina 41 Henry MorenoCatchers -- Brady Cerkownyk 14 Feldi Tavarez Infielders 74 Luis Arias 66 Manuel Cabrera 12 Eyeksson Rojas Outfielders -- Enmanuel Ramirez 22 Elian Soto -- Carlos Tavares 8 Dashyll Tejeda | Manager 16 Carmelo Jaime Coaches 34 Franklin Bravo (pitching) 57 Ender Chávez (hitting) -- Josh Freligh (development) -- Daniel Minter (development) -- Cayden Phillips (defensive) -- Dustin Simanek (complex pitching) 60-day injured list 64 Darrel Lunar 7-day injured list* On Washington Nationals 40-man roster~ Development list# Rehab assignment∞ Reserve list‡ Restricted list§ Suspended list† Temporarily inactive listupdated April 8, 2026→ More rosters: MiLB • Florida Complex League→ Washington Nationals minor league players |
Season-by-season results
| GCL Expos (1969–2004)[citation needed] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCL Expos (1969–2004)[citation needed] Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs 1969 31–22 1st J. W. Porter League Champions No playoffs until 1983 1970 36–27 2nd Ed Sadowski — 1974 21–33 7th Pat Daugherty — 1977 19–35 8th Ray Bellino — 1986 33–29 4th (tie) Mike Easom — 1987 21–42 9th Jethro McIntyre — 1988 24–39 9th Dave Jauss — 1989 28–35 9th Jerry Weinstein — 1990 40–23 1st Gomer Hodge Lost league finals vs. GCL Dodgers (2 games to 0) 1991 32–28 3rd Keith Snider League Champions vs. GCL Orioles (2 games to 1) Won in first round vs. GCL Red Sox (1 game to 0) 1992 35–24 2nd (tie) Nelson Norman Lost league finals vs. GCL Royals (2 games to 1) Won in first round vs. GCL Blue Jays (1 game to 0) 1993 27–31 11th Nelson Norman — 1994 35–24 5th Nelson Norman — 1995 21–35 12th Luis Dorante — 1996 41–18 1st Jim Gabella Lost in 1st round vs. GCL Yankees (1 game to 0) 1997 25–35 12th (tie) Luis Dorante — 1998 32–27 6th Frank Kremblas — 1999 29–31 8th (tie) Bill Masse — 2000 17–43 12th Steve Phillips — 2001 20–40 13th (tie) Dave Dangler — 2002 28–32 8th (tie) Andy Skeels — 2003 25–33 10th Bob Henley — 2004 22–38 11th Arturo DeFreitas — | GCL Nationals (2005–2020)[citation needed] Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs 2005 21–32 12th Wendell Kim — 2006 23–31 10th Bob Henley — 2007 23–31 13th Bob Henley — 2008 33–22 3rd Bob Henley Lost league finals vs. GCL Phillies (2 games to 1) Won in 1st round vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0) 2009 36–19 2nd Bob Henley League Champions vs. GCL Marlins (2 games to 0) Won in 1st round vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0) 2010 24–32 13th (tie) Bobby Williams — 2011 20–33 14th Bobby Williams — 2012 27–33 11th Tripp Keister — 2013 49–9 1st Patrick Anderson League Champions vs. GCL Red Sox (2 games to 0) Won in first round vs. GCL Pirates (1 game to 0) 2014 25–35 12th (tie) Michael Barrett — 2015 24–34 14th Michael Barrett — 2016 30–23 4th Josh Johnson — 2017 34–22 2nd Josh Johnson Lost league finals vs. GCL Yankees (2 games to 1) Won in 1st round vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0) 2018 23-33 15th Mario Lisson — 2019 26-23 8th Mario Lisson Playoffs cancelled due to Hurricane Dorian 2020 No Season due to pandemic FCL Nationals (2021–present)[citation needed] 2021 26-30 9th Jake Lowery — 2022 33-22 4th (tie) Luis Ordaz — 2023 24-25 10th Luis Ordaz — 2024 25-29 10th Luis Ordaz — 2025 30-25 6th Carmelo Jaime — | |||
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
| 1969 | 31–22 | 1st | J. W. Porter | League Champions No playoffs until 1983 |
| 1970 | 36–27 | 2nd | Ed Sadowski | — |
| 1974 | 21–33 | 7th | Pat Daugherty | — |
| 1977 | 19–35 | 8th | Ray Bellino | — |
| 1986 | 33–29 | 4th (tie) | Mike Easom | — |
| 1987 | 21–42 | 9th | Jethro McIntyre | — |
| 1988 | 24–39 | 9th | Dave Jauss | — |
| 1989 | 28–35 | 9th | Jerry Weinstein | — |
| 1990 | 40–23 | 1st | Gomer Hodge | Lost league finals vs. GCL Dodgers (2 games to 0) |
| 1991 | 32–28 | 3rd | Keith Snider | League Champions vs. GCL Orioles (2 games to 1) Won in first round vs. GCL Red Sox (1 game to 0) |
| 1992 | 35–24 | 2nd (tie) | Nelson Norman | Lost league finals vs. GCL Royals (2 games to 1) Won in first round vs. GCL Blue Jays (1 game to 0) |
| 1993 | 27–31 | 11th | Nelson Norman | — |
| 1994 | 35–24 | 5th | Nelson Norman | — |
| 1995 | 21–35 | 12th | Luis Dorante | — |
| 1996 | 41–18 | 1st | Jim Gabella | Lost in 1st round vs. GCL Yankees (1 game to 0) |
| 1997 | 25–35 | 12th (tie) | Luis Dorante | — |
| 1998 | 32–27 | 6th | Frank Kremblas | — |
| 1999 | 29–31 | 8th (tie) | Bill Masse | — |
| 2000 | 17–43 | 12th | Steve Phillips | — |
| 2001 | 20–40 | 13th (tie) | Dave Dangler | — |
| 2002 | 28–32 | 8th (tie) | Andy Skeels | — |
| 2003 | 25–33 | 10th | Bob Henley | — |
| 2004 | 22–38 | 11th | Arturo DeFreitas | — |
| GCL Nationals (2005–2020)[citation needed] | ||||
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
| 2005 | 21–32 | 12th | Wendell Kim | — |
| 2006 | 23–31 | 10th | Bob Henley | — |
| 2007 | 23–31 | 13th | Bob Henley | — |
| 2008 | 33–22 | 3rd | Bob Henley | Lost league finals vs. GCL Phillies (2 games to 1) Won in 1st round vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0) |
| 2009 | 36–19 | 2nd | Bob Henley | League Champions vs. GCL Marlins (2 games to 0) Won in 1st round vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0) |
| 2010 | 24–32 | 13th (tie) | Bobby Williams | — |
| 2011 | 20–33 | 14th | Bobby Williams | — |
| 2012 | 27–33 | 11th | Tripp Keister | — |
| 2013 | 49–9 | 1st | Patrick Anderson | League Champions vs. GCL Red Sox (2 games to 0) Won in first round vs. GCL Pirates (1 game to 0) |
| 2014 | 25–35 | 12th (tie) | Michael Barrett | — |
| 2015 | 24–34 | 14th | Michael Barrett | — |
| 2016 | 30–23 | 4th | Josh Johnson | — |
| 2017 | 34–22 | 2nd | Josh Johnson | Lost league finals vs. GCL Yankees (2 games to 1) Won in 1st round vs. GCL Twins (1 game to 0) |
| 2018 | 23-33 | 15th | Mario Lisson | — |
| 2019 | 26-23 | 8th | Mario Lisson | Playoffs cancelled due to Hurricane Dorian |
| 2020 | No Season due to pandemic | |||
| FCL Nationals (2021–present)[citation needed] | ||||
| 2021 | 26-30 | 9th | Jake Lowery | — |
| 2022 | 33-22 | 4th (tie) | Luis Ordaz | — |
| 2023 | 24-25 | 10th | Luis Ordaz | — |
| 2024 | 25-29 | 10th | Luis Ordaz | — |
| 2025 | 30-25 | 6th | Carmelo Jaime | — |