Nationals Bullpen Confident in Themselves After Good Showing During Opener
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The Washington Nationals are 1-0 to start the 2026 MLB season.
They put together a historic showing on Thursday when they scored 10 runs against the Chicago Cubs to notch the first win of the Paul Toboni and Blake Butera era. It's safe to say the vibes were high following the game, as the team "crushed" their manager with a celebratory shower that consisted of beer, shaving cream and other items.
There is a long way to go in this 162-game campaign, but that was a good way to start. And coming off a year where the Nationals finished with the worst bullpen ERA in the majors, what they did on Opening Day has inspired some confidence in what they can accomplish.
Brad Lord Touts This Relief Staff
Someone who wasn't expected to be part of the relief staff heading into spring training was Brad Lord. The right-hander was someone who Toboni wanted to be part of the starting rotation, but things changed, and Lord was moved into a long-relief role.
He executed that duty to perfection on Opening Day, as the 26-year-old entered the contest and threw 2 1/3 innings where he gave up just one earned run on four hits and was credited with the win. Now in his second season of Major League Baseball, Lord was vocal after the game about his belief in this bullpen unit.
"It shows what we've known all along -- that we've got a bunch of dogs that are willing to compete and go out there and get as many outs as they can," he said, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. "It was a good, collective effort today."
More Experience Should Lead to Better Results
There is a pathway for Washington's bullpen to have better results this season than they did a year ago. That was on display Thursday, as the roadmap for getting to the end of a game was much more clear than it felt at times throughout 2025.
Even with starter Cade Cavalli only going 3 2/3 innings -- which was less than anticipated -- it felt like the Nationals were able to throw competent big league arms at the Cubs. That began with PJ Poulin in the bottom of the fourth inning. After the Nationals took a 7-2 lead in the top of the frame, Chicago tried to mount a comeback. They scored a run off Cavalli, but Poulin came in and shut down the inning and kept Washington in front.
Then, the bullpen did what they are supposed to do by holding onto the lead their offense gave them. That resulted in them allowing just one earned run across 5 1/3 innings pitched, as Lord provided the long relief after Poulin before things were handed off to Clayton Beeter and Cionel Perez to close out the contest.
Things won't go as planned over the course of the long season, but by adding more veteran arms to the equation and having relievers who gained much-needed big league experience last year, the hope is Washington will be able to have the success that Lord envisions for this bullpen group.
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