The Washington Nationals have just 2 games remaining, but if they finish out both games on a high note, they would have the opportunity to finish with a pretty impressive 78 wins on their 2026 season. That number would far and away clear any expectations people had for the club, and would help paint the picture that the club is not that far away from being competitive.
Even if they were to lose both games this weekend, the argument can and should easily be made that the Nationals are in a much better spot now than they were at this time in any year since they won the World Series back in 2019. That in itself is a major credit to Paul Toboni for helping to correct many processes in the team's infrastructure, and a lot of his moves have been successful.
Two of those moves he's made was to make a couple of trades with his old club, the Boston Red Sox. The first one, giving up Jake Bennett for Luis Perales, could end up being one that he wants a mulligan on, but it is still too early to tell at this point. The other one, picking up Connelly Early for Curtis Mead, could end up being one that pays huge dividends if the lefty lives up to the hype.
Connelly Early finally slated for Nationals debut vs Mets today
After speculation over the past several weeks on the state of Early making his debut for the Nationals before the conclusion of the 2026 season, we now will get our first and only chance to see him pitch for the club this season today against the Mets. He will be activated from the 60-day IL today, but the team has not yet announced a corresponding move.
Being the biggest piece that Toboni has landed in a trade so far comes with a little bit of pressure, but Early will have a very good chance to go into the offseason with some confidence under his belt as he begins to prepare for being a rotation mainstay in 2027. Along with Cade Cavalli, fresh off his brand-new contract extension, and Andrew Alvarez, who has been a surprise breakout star, Early figures to be the 3rd lock for the rotation next season.
As for what to expect from Early in his debut, he will be on a pretty strict workload that will keep him from going too deep into the game, and it seems like Jake Irvin will piggyback him. Hopefully Early is able to keep the pitch count low enough to get him through 3 or 4 innings, as the Nationals Park crowd would love to get a really good look at what he can do before the offseason.
What are your expectations for Connelly Early in his first start for the Nationals today? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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