The Washington Nationals open the 2026 campaign at the Chicago Cubs in just 17 days. Tomorrow marks the halfway point of spring training and the boys have the day off from games. Maybe we’ll see more of the fun videos of them racing remote-control boats in the swimming pool at the training facility?
I love what I am seeing and hearing coming out of camp. Butera has fostered an atmosphere of new beginnings and camaraderie. Players are stating that they feel like the coaching they are getting has already made them better. Records don’t matter at this point, but the team sits in 4th place out of 15 teams in the cactus league.
And, management is willing to make moves when holes appear, recently adding Zack Littell to the pitching corps. The Nationals and the 30-year-old RHP agreed to a one-year contract. He has great control, having walked only 4.2% of the batters he faced last year and could be both a starter and an innings eater out of the bullpen. Welcome to the team Zack!
Both Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray are back in action and looking good. It’s great to see them back on the mound and here’s hoping that they are able to stay healthy this year. Cade Cavalli has a pitch he calls the “turbo slurve” that we’ll dissect in a later post. Jake Irvin, Brad Lord, and the newbies Mike Mikolas and Foster Griffin are creating a race for starting position. Wonder if we could see a 6-man rotation?
At 37, Mike Mikolas (pronounced Mike-o-las) is the old man of the group and is providing a veteran presence in the bullpen. Jake Irvin called him “an elite human being.” In a recent start, he gave up three early runs but then settled down and the Nationals won the game. Kevin Frandsen liked what he saw, noting that his experience allowed him to slough off the rough start and focus on dialing it in. That kind of mindset is perfect for our young rotation.
Have you been able to catch any of the games on TV yet? Appropriately recognizing the less than scintillating nature of baseball tryouts (er, spring training games) the broadcast team is sprinkling the coverage with interesting player interviews during the games. Jake Irvin told us how he is embracing the new camaraderie by living frat-house style with four other pitchers, wives and girlfriends (WAGs) included, and is having a great time. Keibert Ruiz, Daylen Lile, Mike Mikolas and others have shared their impressions of camp and hopes for the future.
Great baseball is also happening now in the World Baseball Classic. Nationals players Harry Ford and Matt Mervis are playing for Great Britain and Israel, respectively. Harry Ford is captain of his team and socked a 361-foot home run against Mexico after which he was celebrated with a “changing of the guard” ceremony complete with red tunic and 11 inch bearskin hat (catch it on FB if you can). Dusty Baker is managing the Nicaraguan team and Yan Gomes is catching coach for Brazil. (Yan was a great presence at Nationals fantasy camp — he brought me a beer in the dugout during one of the last games). Good luck to all the current and former Nationals in the WBC!
I’m still tripping and repping the team wherever I go. Hawaiian waterfalls are a great place for a Nats t-shirt.
Let’s be the envy of sports.
#thenatslady #theswarm
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