Nationals 2026 Season Finale on Sunday Gets a New Time
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The Washington Nationals have just one game remaining in the 2026 season.
Compared to expectations heading into this campaign, it's hard to say what took place this year wasn't a success. While there were plenty of frustrating moments throughout the season -- namely the brutal bullpen performance that resulted in the most blown saves of all time -- there were also a lot of positives to take away, as well.
This winter will be a massive one for the Nationals. President of baseball operations Paul Toboni will try to build upon the momentum that was created this year, and upgrading the roster will be an important part of the process to ensure that happens.
But before that gets started, Washington still has one final game in the 2026 regular season. And the start time for the finale was moved up.
Nationals Finale Set for First Pitch at 1:05 P.M. ET
As announced by the Nationals, the finale against the New York Mets has been moved up from the original time of 3:05 p.m. ET to 1:05 p.m. ET.
That is a precautionary measure to avoid the inclement weather that is expected to roll in. Washington did the same thing on Saturday, as they moved things up from 4:05 p.m. ET to 12:35 p.m. ET in what was a much more significant adjustment.
On Saturday, that decision worked out, as they avoided the worst of the rain and were able to get through the game without a delay. The hope is the same thing will take place on Sunday so both teams can finish their 2026 regular seasons and start preparing for the future.
Nationals Finish in Fourth Place for Second Time Since 2019
When it comes to the future, there is no doubt that the Nationals have a bright one.
Their farm system has taken a major step forward as one of the biggest year-over-year risers across Major League Baseball. And with some contracts coming off the books this winter, as well, fans might actually see some spending by the ownership group.
But when it comes to what took place this season, Washington finished in fourth place for just the second time since they won the World Series back in 2019. From 2020-23, they were last for four straight years. In 2024, despite winning 71 games in consecutive seasons, they finished fourth. But they took a huge step back last year, which resulted in a managerial and front office change in the middle of the season before the team ended with a 66-96 record and another last place finish.
With 76 wins this season, the Nationals have already secured their best record since 2019. And with so many talented, young players on the roster and coming up the pipeline, this franchise looks set up for success for the first time in a while.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai