Nationals Set Their Starting Rotation for Opening Series Against Cubs
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The 2026 Opening Day roster is finalized for the Washington Nationals.
There weren't a ton of surprises when it came to the make-up of this 26-man group based on all the camp cuts and minor league options that occurred over the course of spring training. However, there were some notable decisions that were made prior to things getting written in pen.
Something that still needed to get figured out was how things would set up behind Cade Cavalli, who was previously named the Opening Day starter for the matchup against the Chicago Cubs on March 26. But now, the Nationals revealed who their rotation is going to be for this first series of the 2026 season, as Miles Mikolas will get start No. 2 and Jake Irvin will get No. 3.
Cade Cavalli Gets Opening Day
Not much more needs to be said at this point in time when it comes to Cavalli getting this start. Washington is excited to see how the former first-round pick can do in his first full season of Major League Baseball, and there is an expectation that this will be a breakout year. Having success against a playoff-hopeful like the Cubs would be a great way to start the season.
It should also be pointed out that this is a long time coming for Cavalli. After being taken 22nd overall in the 2020 draft, this is the first time the right-hander has been part of the Opening Day roster after dealing with a long recovery from Tommy John surgery. Now, he'll lead his team as the ace of the staff into the upcoming campaign, where all eyes will be on how he performs throughout the year.
Miles Mikolas Surprisingly Slots Into No. 2 Role
When the Nationals signed Zack Littell, the prevailing thought was that he would be the No. 2 in this rotation. However, because he signed so late in the process, he's still trying to build up to being ready for the regular season and won't be pitching in this opening series.
So, the 10-year veteran Mikolas will be handed the ball on March 28. Projected to be a back-end arm when he was signed on Feb. 11, the right-hander will now be tasked with being up front to start the season coming off a 2025 campaign where he posted a 4.84 ERA across his 31 starts with the St. Louis Cardinals.
It will be interesting to see how long Mikolas remains in this No. 2 spot. He's declined at this stage of his career, with the last time he finished a season with an ERA+ above the league average of 100 coming in 2022 when he was named an All-Star. But he's an innings eater, and if he can provide that for Washington, that will help the team a ton this year.
Jake Irvin Gets Early Chance to Prove Himself
There was a real chance that Irvin wasn't going to be part of this team in 2026. Seen as a potential non-tender candidate during the early stages of the offseason following a horrendous showing last year, the right-hander remained with the team entering spring training and he regained a spot in the starting rotation.
Now, he'll get an early opportunity to prove that he has made some adjustments coming off what took place last season. And he'll get to do so against a Chicago lineup that has some major firepower. How he performs is anyone's guess, but he'll be handed the ball on March 29 to close out this opening set against the Cubs.
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