WASHINGTON — Jayson Werth, the long-haired, longtime outfielder for the Nationals that helped usher winning seasons to D.C., will be honored in September for his contributions to the franchise, principal owner Mark Lerner announced Thursday.
Werth will be added to the team’s Ring of Honor at Nats Park on Sept. 8 when the Nationals host the Chicago Cubs.
Lerner made the announcement to fans at All-Star FanFest, which opens to the public Friday.
Werth spent seven of his 15 Major League seasons with the Nats. He hit 109 home runs, 393 RBI and 450 runs with a slash line of .263/.355/.433.
He is considered the Nationals’ first big free agent signing after he signed a 7-year, $126 million contract in the 2010 offseason that signaled the Nats’ evolution from middling expansion team to playoff contender.
Werth’s appearance and style of play made him a Nationals fan favorite.
The Nats made the playoffs in four of the seven seasons the bearded, whirling dervish played for the team and his walk-off home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the 2012 NLDS is widely considered one of the top moments in D.C. sports history.
Werth, 39, spent this season playing for the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, Washington, before announcing he is done playing pro baseball in a June 27 interview.
WTOP’s Colleen Kelleher contributed to this report.
