Spring Training: 2026

[imref]

Schedule released:

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/schedule

Highlights (via Zuck):

* 2/21 openers vs HOU/at STL
* 2/23 home vs PHI
* 2/25-2/26 road trip at NYY/PHI
* 3/4 exhibition vs. Venezuela
* 3/7 home vs NYY
* 3/21 Spring Breakout prospect game at STL
* 3/22 vs O's in Baltimore
* 3/23 vs O's in D.C.

[Natsinpwc]

Seems like a really short Florida schedule.

They also play the Phillies at Clearwater on Feb 26

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This is a WBC year, right?

Edit: yes. 3/5 - 17

[JCA-CrystalCity]

A lot of Miami, St L, and NYM in addition to Houston

[Natsinpwc]

A lot of Miami, St L, and NYM in addition to Houston

The Fab Five.

[imref]

the equipment truck has left Nats park for Palm Beach.

[imref]

Full list of minor league ST invites is out:
Ogasawara
Susan
Sykora
Lomavita
King
Lipscomb
Morales
Wallace
Glasser
Pickney

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm guessing they want to have the med staff watch Sykora's rehab sand let him hang with the MLBers so they get to know him. Probably good to hang with Cavalli and others who have had the same surgery. Lomavita is probably an extra catcher for when the pitchers report and will go back to minors camp once they reassign a few of them.

Adams isn't listed. Is he still clearing his 10 days as an NRI?

[imref]

Adams isn't listed. Is he still clearing his 10 days as an NRI?

Probably, still isn't listed as accepting an assignment to AAA or being claimed.

[imref]

Nats announce this morning that Adams and Lara have been added as ST NRIs.

[madj55]

I usually know who to follow for ST Coverage but with MASN being dead and Post Sports trending that way, who will actually be in West Palm?

I’m sure Jessica Camerato will be from MLB.com but unsure after that.

[imref]

Spring is about to be sprung:
- Pitchers and catchers report on 2/9
- First workout on 2/11
- First full-team workout on 2/16
- First ST game on 2/21

[machpost]

Dan Kolko revealed on some podcast or radio show the other day that Nationals.tv would be broadcasting a total of five spring training games. That's actually down from the eight that MASN produced last spring. Of course there will be quite a few more if you count other teams' broadcasts.

[imref]

[Natsinpwc]

Thanks for posting that.  Remember when we used to get excited about baseball at this time and some folks even took trips down here to attend games.  Then the Lerners sucked all the joy away.

[varoadking]

Remember when we used to get excited about baseball at this time and some folks even took trips down here to attend games.  Then the Lerners sucked all the joy away.

Word...

[welch]

Spring is about to be sprung:
- Pitchers and catchers report on 2/9
- First workout on 2/11
- First full-team workout on 2/16
- First ST game on 2/21

Thank you, imref! Worth repeating, with some emphasis. Monday!!!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/nationals-roles-available-in-2026-spring-training

Camerato discusses 3 position battles: OD starter, 1B, and C. For OD, she says its wide open, but notes Gray has started OD before, Cavalli probably had the strongest year, and Irvin has the most experience. For 1B, she notes the Garcia experiment, Matt Mervis and his invite, Chaparro's on the 40 man, and there's Morales and Lipscomb in the system. For C, she just focuses on Ruiz and Ford.

[machpost]

I'll be really surprised if Ruiz ever makes it back.

[imref]

LFG!

[imref]

[welch]

I'll be really surprised if Ruiz ever makes it back.

Who is Ruiz?

[imref]

The last remaining beat reporter covering the Nats shares her OD lineup predictions:

https://www.mlb.com/news/nationals-2026-opening-day-roster

C: Ruiz/Ford (Disagree, I think Ford gets everyday reps in Rochester and Millas is the backup)
1B: Garcia (I think this will be a platoon, Garcia isn't starting against LHP)
2B: Nuñez
SS: Abrams
3B: House
OF: Wood / Young / Crews
DH: Lile (would rather see Wood DH against LHP and Lile in the OF, with someone like Chaparro at 1B)
Bench: Hassell, Chaparro, Tena

SP: Cavalli, Irvin, Griffin, Lord, Parker (i'd think Gray makes the rotation over Parker if he has a good spring, she notes this is likely to fluctuate depending on how Gray, Williams, and Herz perform during camp)

BP: Henry, Beeter, Rutledge, Poulin, Ribalta, McGarry, Lovelady, Cornelio (I don't thik there's any way Cornelio is in the bullpen, she thinks he follows the Brad Lord approach of being a long reliever who can step in as a starter if needed)

[imref]

https://www.thenatsreport.com/p/washington-nationals-spring-training-2026-key-dates - great guide to ST

[IanRubbish]

The last remaining beat reporter covering the Nats shares her OD lineup predictions:

https://www.mlb.com/news/nationals-2026-opening-day-roster

C: Ruiz/Ford (Disagree, I think Ford gets everyday reps in Rochester and Millas is the backup)

They might try and manipulate Ford's service time to delay FA by a year.  He's got 28 days of service, so 6-7 weeks in Rochester would delay his free agency to before the 2033 season.  I imagine they'll also play the contract with Keibert as they always do and he could also end up seeing time at 1B or DH even though he doesn't have the bat for either.  With Garcia and/or Chapparo at 1B as well, they could be dead last in the league in 1B OPS.