Nats’ roster starting to take shape for Chicago opener
With the March 26 opener against the Cubs just days away, here’s what we’ve learned about the Washington Nationals in spring training so far:
Cavalli earns opening day honors
Manager Blake Butera has named Cade Cavalli to be the starter for the opener. Cavalli had Tommy John surgery in 2023. It has been a long road back to the majors, but Cavalli has looked quite effective so far this spring, giving up just one hit in nine innings of work.
Right-handers will dominate the staff
With the trade of MacKenzie Gore and the assignment of Mitchell Parker to the minors, it’s a near-certainty that Washington’s starting rotation will be almost entirely right-handed. In addition to Cavalli, at least three starters will be chosen from among righties Jake Irvin, Miles Mikolas, Zack Littell, Josiah Gray and Brad Lord. Irvin has the stuff to be effective, but has been inconsistent during his three years with the Nationals, and posted the highest ERA of his career (5.70) in 2025. Mikolas and Littell, both acquired this spring, have been sturdy innings-eaters, with Littell posting the better ERA last season at 3.81. Gray continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery; he has looked good this spring, but how durable will he be? Lord was a pleasant surprise last season, but has given up nine hits in seven innings of work this spring, and seems the most likely one of this group to begin the season in the bullpen.
If Butera decides to include a left-hander in the starting rotation, it will likely be the unproven Foster Griffin, who was last seen in the majors in 2022. He spent the last three years pitching in Japan, where he was an effective starter, but will that translate to the majors?
What about the bullpen?
Given the right-handedness of the starting staff, you might think the bullpen would be loaded with lefties. Guess again. Barring some dramatic roster moves in the next week, PJ Poulin looks to be the only left-handed reliever, unless Griffin winds up in the pen.
Who’s going to hit?
If spring performance means anything – a big if, of course – Brady House may be ready for a breakout season. House demonstrated solid defensive skills and occasional pop at the plate after being called up to the majors last season, and he has been raking in Florida. He’s batting a robust .441 and leads the team in hits, doubles, homers and RBI.
House looks to be a lock to start at third base in Chicago. Unfortunately, others Nats fans expect big things from this season, like James Wood, CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia, Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews and Keibert Ruiz, really haven’t shown much. Ruiz has the best spring average of this group, at a meager .217. Wood, who had such an impressive season last year, is hitting a puny .083 with nine strikeouts.
Seaver King (.375) Trey Lipscomb (.350) and Robert Hassell (.286) have looked better at the plate, but it’s unlikely that the raw King – the Nats’ top pick in the 2024 draft – will make the regular season roster. As for Lipscomb and Hassell, they’ve posted outstanding spring stats in the past, and not matched them in the regular season.
Harry Ford, the catcher acquired from the Mariners during the offseason, has had some impressive moments playing for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. He hasn’t had time with the Nationals to develop a rapport with the pitching staff, but it’s likely he will at least split catching duties with Ruiz once the season starts.
A solid spring, but what about TV?
While the Nats’ bats have been fairly quiet in Florida, Washington’s pitchers have held opponents in check pretty well. The team’s pitching coaches have been de-emphasizing the fastball and encouraging the staff to lean more on breaking balls and changing speeds, and the early results are promising. Washington won 11 of its first 16 spring games and stands third in the Grapefruit League.
What that means once the team arrives in Chicago next week, we shall soon see. Or will we? The Nats are out from under the onerous MASN deal, but their TV situation remains unsettled. You can buy the Nationals.TV streaming service for $100. Beyond that, here’s what the Nationals website says: “Information on cable and satellite providers, including specific channel locations, will be announced at a later date.” Let’s hope that date is before March 26.
