I believe Opening Day is something all baseball fans should experience at least once in their lives, if they are able. Everything from the energy in the ballpark, to the packed stadium, the big American flag draped over the outfield, to the flyover, and so much more, is comparable to the All-Star Game or a postseason/World Series game.
The Washington Nationals home opener in 2026 was all of that and more. There was pure patriotism in the air. Active-duty military personnel were all over the stadium, on the field to carry the American flag, and at the Washington Nationals' introduction from the batter's eye in center field. It was truly a spectacle.
The Washington Nationals had one of their fiercest opponents to start the season, a heavily talented Los Angeles Dodgers team, who came out to play in the game, and if you are a fan of the long ball, regardless of team, this game did not disappoint.
The scoring started off with a three-run bomb from CJ Abrams - the energy in the air was incredible, and all the Nationals fans were super excited. But you cannot count out the Dodger; the big boys in the lineup came to play. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, and Freddie Freeman all went yard and helped the Dodgers to an eventual 13-6 win.
The Nationals starting pitcher for the game did not look good at all as Miles Mikolas gave up 11 runs on 11 hits in four and one-third innings, while only striking out four Los Angeles batters. The constant scoring from the Dodgers quieted the Nationals crowd and showed the Nationals that there are levels to the game of baseball, and unfortunately the two clubs are on drastically different levels.
The reason the Dodgers can sign all of these big-name free agents isn't just because of their so-called unlimited budget, but also because they had a track record of winning even before dishing out all of the big contracts. The Nationals need to find a way to start winning so they can sign big-name free agents by selling their chances of winning to star players on the free agency market.
While the Opening Day experience was one to remember for all of the constant scoring, everyone was in their seat and showed that great baseball deserves to be watched, regardless of whether your team is winning or not.