 The team was known as the Montreal Expos from 1969 to 2004.The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.The Nationals have used six different Opening Day starting pitchers in their fifteen seasons.