We are now just a couple days away from the Washington Nationals kicking off the 2026 season, and while the season overall might not be pretty, at least our favorite team is back in action. With that being said, let's not waste any time and check out how the Opening Day lineup for the Nationals against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field might shake out.
Rotation (5):
RHP Cade Cavalli
LHP Foster Griffin
RHP Jake Irvin
RHP Zack Littell
RHP Miles Mikolas
There are no real surprises in the team's starting rotation to begin 2026. After Cade Cavalli was named the team's Opening Day starter a few weeks back, it just became a decision of how the starting pitchers would line up behind him. With Zack Littell still not fully ramped up, we likely will still not see him in the first series in Wrigley despite his veteran track record.
Bullpen (8):
RHP Clayton Beeter
RHP Andre Granillo
RHP Cole Henry
RHP Brad Lord
RHP Gus Varland
LHP Cionel Perez
LHP PJ Poulin
LHP Ken Waldichuk
The 2026 bullpen for the Washington Nationals has a ton of new faces. We do not yet know if the team will give anyone more looks at closing games over others, but it appears as if it will be more of a closer-by-committee approach. Speculation has been that Beeter will get the first look at closing games, but don't be surprised if Cole Henry gets some early save chances as well.
Catchers (2):
Keibert Ruiz (S)
Drew Millas (S)
After the demotion of Harry Ford to AAA Rochester last week, it became pretty obvious that the Nationals were going to stick with the status quo for the time being. Credit to the front office for finally giving Drew Millas a chance to play more, as Riley Adams, the team's backup catcher over the past few seasons, will split time with Ford down in Rochester to begin the season. Hopefully Ruiz can carry over his spring training plate approach and improved defense into the regular season.
Infielders (6):
Luis Garcia Jr. (L)
Andrés Chaparro (R)
Nasim Nuñez (S)
CJ Abrams (L)
José Tena (L)
Jorbit Vivas (L)
We do not yet know how the Nationals will look to deploy their infield on a nightly basis, but it appears as if we might be looking at a bit of a platoon situation with Garcia Jr. and Chaparro at first base. Nasim Nuñez should be in line to see a lot of playing time given his superior defense and speed, and the new acquisition of Vivas makes things interesting regarding Tena's future. For now, Tena is penciled in loosely until we know for certain, and there is a chance he is next on the chopping block should the Nationals find someone they like on the waiver wire before Opening Day.
Outfielders (4):
James Wood (L)
Jacob Young (R)
Daylen Lile (L)
Joey Weimer (R)
Following the stunning demotion of Dylan Crews late last week, the outfield picture became pretty clear for the Nationals. Christian Franklin was the last man out of the picture, as he was optioned to Rochester on Monday, leaving Weimer as the projected 4th outfielder. Wood and Lile were always going to be locks, and the only debate was how much playing time Young was going to earn. For now, it appears the team will go Wood, Young, and Lile, from left to right.
What do you think of the Nationals' potential Opening Day roster? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.