Nationals Unveil Strange Starting Lineup for Opening Day Matchup Against Cubs
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The Washington Nationals will get their 2026 season underway at 2:20 p.m. ET on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The date and time had been known, then the Opening Day starter was revealed. And following a spring camp that was full of surprising options when it came to players projected to make the 26-man roster, the Nationals revealed their first group of the year. The only thing left to find out following the announcement of their rotation for the first set of this season would be how the starting lineup would look on Thursday. And when that was revealed, it's safe to say the setup was a bit shocking.
Nationals Unveil Their First Lineup of 2026 Season
1. James Wood - LF
2. Andres Chaparro - 1B
3. Brady House - 3B
4. Daylen Lile - DH
5. Joey Weimer - RF
6. CJ Abrams - SS
7. Nasim Nunez - 2B
8. Keibert Ruiz - C
9. Jacob Young - CF
SP: Cade Cavalli
Since they are facing off against left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd, there was going to be an interesting alignment based on who was on this roster. However, it's notable who is getting the start on Opening Day and where everyone is situated in this lineup.
First, the fact CJ Abrams is batting sixth is a surprise and probably sticks out the most. He's been in that spot for just 17 games during his major league career, with the majority of his time coming in the leadoff spot with 296 games of experience as the No. 1 hitter.
Conversely, this is a bit of a new role for James Wood. He primarily has been slotted in second, with 121 of his big league contests coming there while only 40 were as the leadoff man. And considering this is a lefty-on-lefty matchup to start the game, that is a notable decision.
Elsewhere, it's interesting to see Andres Chaparro and Brady House where they are. It makes sense why Washington would want a right-handed bat to follow Wood in the No. 2 spot, but Chaparro did not have the best spring and it's strange to see him get this coveted position in the lineup. House and Daylen Lile make sense as top four hitters, but the back-end is a clear weakness on Thursday.
Expect the Unexpected From the Nationals Going Forward
If this is any indication about what's to come for the Nationals throughout the 2026 season, it's to expect the unexpected when it comes to how this new regime is going to align things. They have talked about having flexibility and multiplicity across their organization, and it's clear they will apply that to their lineup on a daily basis, as well.
While Washington will likely settle into a more "normal" lineup when it comes to where they position their players down the line once the season is underway, this surprising setup for Opening Day certainly was an eye-catcher.
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