Washington Nationals: 5 takeaways from the 2018 schedule

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(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

With the 2018 schedule being released yesterday, what are the unique takeaways from the Washington Nationals schedule?

The Washington Nationals are still making a run at the World Series in 2017, but Major League Baseball gave us a look as to what next year might bring. Yesterday, the 2018 schedule was announced for all 30 teams. There were hardly any times given, but the dates are set.

While the MLB schedule unveiling doesn’t get as much fanfare compared to the NFL schedule, it still allows fans to plan out visits to certain ballparks months in advance. Of course, the interleague opponents rotate every three years, but there is still that small bit of excitement.

Due to the new collective bargaining agreement, everybody is going to start on the same date next season. On March 28, the Washington Nationals will begin the 2018 campaign at Great American Ballpark against the Cincinnati Reds. Usually, you will see Opening Day on a Sunday or Monday, but next year, it is on a Thursday.

Yes, no one knows which teams are going to be great or mediocre next year right now, However, there is always the chance of player reunions. For example, Ian Desmond was not healthy for Colorado’s trip to D.C. this season, so he maybe he starts for the Rockies next April and gets a standing ovation at the plate.

Today, we are going to bring you five unique takeaways from this year’s schedule. Also, we want to hear from you on which games you are excited to go to next year. Let us know in the comments section below.

AL East matchups galore

Next season, the Washington Nationals will face the American League East as part of their interleague slate. Of course, the Nats already face the Baltimore Orioles six times each year, but those matchups are spread out next year (May 28-30 at Baltimore, June 19-21 at Washington).

The headline of the AL East slate might just be the home-and-home with the New York Yankees (May 15-16 at Nats Park, June 12-13 at Yankee Stadium). Nats fans will get their first in-person look at Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, but the intrigue will be around Bryce Harper.

When Harper plays at Yankee Stadium next year, the whole New York media will for sure ask him about his contract situation, if its not finalized by then. It’s pretty much a given that Harper will hear the calls from Yankee fans and the signs telling him to sign in the Bronx.

The other home-and-home the Nats have with the AL East is against the Tampa Bay Rays (June 5-6). In that series, catcher Wilson Ramos will make his first visit to Nats Park since signing with Tampa Bay this past winter.

There will also be some history next year when the Boston Red Sox will visit Nats Park (July 2-4) for the first time since 2009. As for the Nats lone AL East road visit, that will be when they head north of the border to take on the Toronto Blue Jays for three games (June 15-17).

For fans that don’t like interleague play, at least the Washington Nationals will be done playing all their American League opponents by the All-Star break.

Early West Coast trips

Every season, managers look at long west coast trips as series that could make or break a team. Next year, the Washington Nationals will get most of those trips out of the way early.

In the first month of the year, the Nats will make visits to Dodger Stadium (April 20-22) and AT&T Park (April 23-25) to take on the Dodgers and Giants. Then, in May, they will play at San Diego (May 7-9) and Arizona (May 10-14).

On the one hand, it is good to get most of the long travel out of the way early and the Nats will play those teams when the weather is cooler compared to June and July. However, there is one drawback to playing all the west coast games early.

At the end of the season, the Washington Nationals final series will be at Coors Field when they take on the Colorado Rockies. Now, no one knows if those games will mean anything right now, but Colorado weather in September is very unpredictable. It could be a nice sunny day or you never know if snow might end up being in the forecast.

Over the course of April and May, the Nats will play 26 games against the NL West, so keep an eye on what moves those team make when the offseason approaches. ‘

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

NL Central matchups highlight second half

During the second half of the year, the Washington Nationals will be seeing a lot of the NL Central. If things stay true to form like they are this year, that division could continue to be tough as three teams (Cardinals, Cubs, and Brewers) are still in the mix for a playoff spot.

From August 1 till the end of the year, the Nats will play NL Central teams 21 times. Out of those 21 games, seven of them are against the Cubs and the Cardinals and three of them are against the Brewers (August 31-September 2 at Nats Park).

With that being the case, the Washington Nationals could end up playing a huge factor deciding which teams win that division if all three teams are in that same position next year. From August 31-September 9, the team plays every game against NL Central opponents.

As for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Nats will finish all their games against them by the All-Star break. That is a contrast to this year since the Pirates will come to Nats Park for the final four games of this season. The only thing that might decide is whether or not the Nats get the number one seed in the postseason.

Opening Day in Cincinnati

For the first time since 2012, the Washington Nationals will open the season against a team not in their own division. Just like that season, it will be against a NL Central opponent. In 2012, it was at Wrigley Field. But, in 2018, it will be at Great American Ballpark.

Opening Day is a tradition to many baseball fans, but especially to the Cincinnati Reds. They are the one team that is guaranteed to open the year at home every season, so the pomp and circumstance will be a great atmosphere.

As for the on-field product, the Reds will most likely still be in rebuilding mode, so it will be an opportunity for the team to pick up some wins to start the season against a team that will be projected to finish at the bottom of the division.

During the first six games of the 2018 season, the Nats will be in Cincinnati and Atlanta. They will not begin the home slate of their season until April 5 against the New York Mets. That Mets series will be the beginning of a long ten game homestand.

In the last two seasons, the Nats have always found a way to start of the year on a great note. It is possible that a series in Cincinnati could be the key to a successful beginning to the 2018 season.

All-Star Game surrounded by July road trips

Every Washington Nationals fan is excited to have the All-Star game at Nats Park for the first time in July. The festivities should be great, but it does provide some challenges for the team that is hosting the event.

More from District on Deck

That challenge is that the Nats will be packing their bags a lot in the month of July. Out of the 26 games scheduled for July, 15 of them will take place away from the home ballpark. This includes a trip to Pittsburgh before the break (July 9-11) and a trip to Milwaukee (July 23-25).

As mentioned before, July does feature a home series with the Red Sox, but most of the matchups in that month are going to be divisional games. 17 of the 26 games in July will be against NL East opponents, including a pair of four game sets against the Miami Marlins. Who knows if Giancarlo Stanton will be in Miami by then?

Regardless of all the travel, nobody is going to complain since Washington D.C. will be the center of attention during the Midsummer Classic. Could Bryce Harper win the Home Run Derby? How many All-Stars will the Nats have in their home ballpark?

Next: How the NL East was won

Of course, the focus now is the postseason in 2017. Nevertheless, it isn’t a bad thing to look ahead to some of the intriguing matchups around the 2018 schedule.

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