3 Biggest Storylines to Follow During Nationals' First Month of MLB Season
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The Washington Nationals will take the field for their 2026 season opener against the Chicago Cubs on March 26 at Wrigley Field, and they now have the Opening Day roster set.
While the Nationals aren't expected to compete for anything this year, there is some excitement when it comes to how this team might look throughout the long campaign following the massive organizational changes that took place this offseason. With an embrace of technology, data and analytics, the hope is a more modern approach to baseball will create improvements on the diamond even if that doesn't come in wins and losses immediately.
But ultimately, sports is about having success. And if Washington isn't having it, then it will be hard to keep the attention of this fanbase following years of disappointment and frustration after deciding to enter a rebuild following the franchise's first-ever World Series championship in 2019. Because of that, early entertainment could be paramount, which is why these are three of the biggest storylines to pay attention to during the first month of the MLB season.
How the Nationals Handle Their Early Scheduling Gauntlet
The MLB schedule makers did the Nationals no favors coming out of the gates. Not only do they hit the road to face the Cubs, but they then travel to play their division rival Philadelphia Phillies next before hosting the two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
All in all, Washington is set to face three teams that are favored to win their division during March/April, and they will play four others -- the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and New York Mets -- that should be competing for a playoff spot.
This will be a gauntlet. And seeing how this young Nationals team led by a young coaching staff and front office handles it will be telling. While nobody is expecting them to have a winning record during the first month of the year, not looking overmatched or inept will go a long way when it comes to maintaining a level of excitement about this season.
Will Their Star Offensive Players Show Up Out of the Gates?
There was some hand-wringing going on throughout spring training when it came to the lack of offense from Washington. That was for good reason, too, as they finished 29th out of 30 teams in runs scored with around 3.50 per contest. Results during the spring need to be taken with a grain of salt, but it was not a good sign that many of the marquee offensive players on the roster had major struggles at the plate during this ramp-up period.
With Dylan Crews already down with Triple-A because of his issues on offense, there is going to be a lot of pressure on the shoulders of James Wood, CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile, Luis Garcia Jr. and even Brady House to show this fanbase that there is some life in this team's bats.
Having a good start to the season where runs are being scored, some longballs are being hit and players are getting on base would be a good way to ease those concerns. Because if not, then this will be a massive story throughout the early part of the year.
Is This an Improved Pitching Staff?
When the Nationals decided to trade their ace MacKenzie Gore, naturally that lessened the talent throughout the pitching staff. While there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the upside of Cade Cavalli and the veteran presence that is now throughout the rotation, the fact of the matter is there's a chance this overall unit could be worse than it was last year when they finished with the second-worst ERA across the majors (5.35).
However, a huge change in pitching philosophy has a chance to alter things for Washington, as this new regime will focus on throwing fastballs less often. There were already positives that came from that throughout the spring, as many pitchers looked much improved and the team only allowed 3.70 runs per game, which was fourth out of all 30 clubs.
Will that success carry over in to the early part of the regular season against teams that are fully in the hunt for a playoff spot? Time will tell. But it's certainly going to be a storyline to pay attention to, especially if Washington's arms are able to be successful early on.
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