Nationalsclub.com | Washington Nationals News, nationals Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - Until he rounded the bases Sunday and leaped into a mass of waiting teammates upon clubbing a game-winning homer against the Florida Marlins, Ryan Zimmerman hadn't been the center of attention in a while. The Washington Nationals third baseman hadn't been receiving the kind of renown lately that had been thrust upon him earlier this season while piling up a 30-game hitting streak or making his All-Star Game debut. Make no mistake, though: Zimmerman hasn't let up one bit since his breakthrough first half, and he's going to wind up putting together the best season by any player in the Nationals' five-year history and one of the best seasons by any major league third baseman this decade. And Sunday's "walk-off" winner was only the latest confirmation of that. Zimmerman doesn't always receive a lot of notice because he sustains such a high level of play that there's little he can do to amaze anyone anymore. Day in and day out, he saves runs by snagging a tough backhand or making a nifty sidearm throw to first. And few games go by in which he doesn't drive in a run or do something else productive at the plate. But look at his overall season numbers, and it's clear Zimmerman isn't just having a good season. He's having a great season. He's on pace to hit .300 with 34 homers, 113 RBI and 117 runs, all career highs. The stat line of .300-30-100 gets thrown out there like it's an attainable benchmark for any good player, but it's not as common as you might think, especially among third basemen. Since 2000, only five third basemen have hit at least .300 with 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs in a single season. Alex Rodriguez has done it three times. Chipper Jones and David Wright have each done it twice. Scott Rolen and Adrian Beltre did it once apiece. That's it. Five third basemen who have combined to pull that feat off nine times this decade. That puts Zimmerman in elite company, and that doesn't even take into consideration defensive performance. Zimmerman, of course, has been equally impressive in the field this year. After a brief hiccup earlier this summer in which almost every routine throw he made to first had the potential to land in the grandstand, he has returned to his rightful stature as one of the game's best defensive third basemen. If he doesn't win his first Gold Glove award this fall, it will be a surprise. All this after signing a five-year, $45 million extension in April that, quite honestly, had some people worried at the time. Remember, Zimmerman's production had declined two straight seasons, in part because of an injured right shoulder that plagued him in 2008. The Nationals had every reason to believe he would bounce back and make some legitimate progression this season, but there were no guarantees at the time. In the end, Zimmerman has lived up to his end of the bargain and then some. Not that he was given chump change in April, but he could have earned even more had he waited until this winter to negotiate, considering what he has done over the past five months. Zimmerman, of course, is the first to say these individual numbers mean little to him, especially when there's still 25 games remaining on the schedule. "I really don't do any of that until after the season," he said. "And then I allow myself to do it for about one day, and that's it. It's such a hard game, and it's so hard to do it year in and year out. I don't like looking at the numbers. It's just not me. "But it's definitely one of the better years I've had." One of the better years? No, it is without question his best year to date. It won't draw headlines across the country, not with the Nationals well on their way to another 100-loss season. But if he turns .300-30-100 into an annual event, he won't go unrecognized forever. Put up those numbers on a first-place club, and all of a sudden Zimmerman will find himself in the conversation for the biggest individual award out there: MVP. Sign up for breaking news alerts from FOXSports.com!

Until he rounded the bases Sunday and leaped into a mass of waiting teammates upon clubbing a game-winning homer against the Florida Marlins, Ryan Zimmerman hadn't been the center of attention in a while. The Washington Nationals third baseman hadn't been receiving the kind of renown lately that had been thrust upon him earlier this season while piling up a 30-game hitting streak or making his All-Star Game debut.

Make no mistake, though: Zimmerman hasn't let up one bit since his breakthrough first half, and he's going to wind up putting together the best season by any player in the Nationals' five-year history and one of the best seasons by any major league third baseman this decade.

And Sunday's "walk-off" winner was only the latest confirmation of that.

Zimmerman doesn't always receive a lot of notice because he sustains such a high level of play that there's little he can do to amaze anyone anymore. Day in and day out, he saves runs by snagging a tough backhand or making a nifty sidearm throw to first. And few games go by in which he doesn't drive in a run or do something else productive at the plate.

But look at his overall season numbers, and it's clear Zimmerman isn't just having a good season. He's having a great season.

He's on pace to hit .300 with 34 homers, 113 RBI and 117 runs, all career highs. The stat line of .300-30-100 gets thrown out there like it's an attainable benchmark for any good player, but it's not as common as you might think, especially among third basemen.

Since 2000, only five third basemen have hit at least .300 with 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs in a single season. Alex Rodriguez has done it three times. Chipper Jones and David Wright have each done it twice. Scott Rolen and Adrian Beltre did it once apiece.

That's it. Five third basemen who have combined to pull that feat off nine times this decade. That puts Zimmerman in elite company, and that doesn't even take into consideration defensive performance.

Zimmerman, of course, has been equally impressive in the field this year. After a brief hiccup earlier this summer in which almost every routine throw he made to first had the potential to land in the grandstand, he has returned to his rightful stature as one of the game's best defensive third basemen. If he doesn't win his first Gold Glove award this fall, it will be a surprise.

All this after signing a five-year, $45 million extension in April that, quite honestly, had some people worried at the time. Remember, Zimmerman's production had declined two straight seasons, in part because of an injured right shoulder that plagued him in 2008. The Nationals had every reason to believe he would bounce back and make some legitimate progression this season, but there were no guarantees at the time.

In the end, Zimmerman has lived up to his end of the bargain and then some. Not that he was given chump change in April, but he could have earned even more had he waited until this winter to negotiate, considering what he has done over the past five months.

Zimmerman, of course, is the first to say these individual numbers mean little to him, especially when there's still 25 games remaining on the schedule.

"I really don't do any of that until after the season," he said. "And then I allow myself to do it for about one day, and that's it. It's such a hard game, and it's so hard to do it year in and year out. I don't like looking at the numbers. It's just not me.

"But it's definitely one of the better years I've had."

One of the better years? No, it is without question his best year to date. It won't draw headlines across the country, not with the Nationals well on their way to another 100-loss season. But if he turns .300-30-100 into an annual event, he won't go unrecognized forever.

Put up those numbers on a first-place club, and all of a sudden Zimmerman will find himself in the conversation for the biggest individual award out there: MVP.