Tonight the Washington Nationals will welcome the New York Yankees for the last series of the first half of the 2026 season. The Nationals enter tonight’s game two games over .500 and they hope to improve that record before the All-Star Game.

Tonight, left handed pitcher Carson Palmquist who has a 0-1 record and an ERA of 7.11 will be tonight’s opener while the New York Yankees will be sending left handed pitcher Ryan Weathers who has a 3-7 record an ERA of 4.29.

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On Deck…

Tomorrow the Nationals will play game two of three against the New York Yankees with the first pitch at 4:05 p.m. EDT. Schedule to take the mound for the Washington Nationals will be right-handed pitcher Miles Mikolas who has a 3-7 record and an ERA of 5.78. The New York Yankees are scheduled to send right handed pitcher Cam Schlittler who has a 9-5 record an ERA of 2.01.

In the hole…

On Sunday, the Nationals will conclude the first half of the 2026 season and their series against the New York Yankees with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. EDT.

[Here is the pitching matchup for this game]

James Wood is on an absolute tear at the plate, going 13-for-34 (.382) with a staggering .571 on-base percentage and a .941 slugging percentage over his last 10 games. He’s paired elite power with advanced plate discipline, drawing 15 walks against just seven strikeouts while piling up extra-base damage (two doubles, one triple, five home runs).

Even more impressively, Wood has reached safely in 24 of his last 37 plate appearances, a stretch fueled by 11 hits and 13 walks with only two strikeouts. From July 1 through July 7, he went 26 consecutive plate appearances without striking out, showcasing a level of command in the zone rarely seen from a young power hitter.

On Tuesday night, Wood added another milestone, hitting his Major League-leading eighth leadoff home run of the season. That total is now the second-most leadoff homers in a single season in Nationals history, trailing only Alfonso Soriano’s nine in 2006.

The 2026 National League All-Star reserve continues to dominate across the board. Among National League outfielders, Wood ranks first in runs (85), leadoff home runs (8), walks (77), extra-base hits (48), and home runs (25). He also sits near the top of the league in advanced metrics, including a .403 wOBA (2nd), 156 wRC+ (2nd), .948 OPS (2nd), .402 on-base percentage (3rd), and .546 slugging percentage (4th).

Wood isn’t just producing he’s doing it in a way that signals true superstar development. His combination of elite plate discipline and power is driving consistent run creation at the top of the lineup, giving Washington a dynamic table-setter who can also change the game with one swing.

Historically, leadoff hitters with this kind of power-speed-discipline blend are rare, and Wood’s current pace puts him in both franchise and league-wide elite territory. If this approach holds, he’s not just an All-Star he’s building a case as one of the most impactful hitters in baseball and a foundational piece for the Nationals’ future.

Zack Littell turned in another solid outing his last time out, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out three. Despite the effort, he did not factor into the decision in Washington’s 7-1 loss to Pittsburgh on July 4.

Against the Yankees, Littell is set to make his sixth career appearance. He owns a 3-1 record with a 3.99 ERA (13 ER in 29.1 innings) and 20 strikeouts against New York, showing a track record of steady production in the matchup.

Littell was one of the hottest pitchers in baseball earlier this season, putting together a six-game winning streak from May 3 through June 6 tied for the second-longest streak in the Majors at the time. During that run, he went 6-0 with a 2.27 ERA, holding opponents to a .197 average and allowing just two home runs across seven appearances. His six wins during that stretch were tied for the most in MLB alongside Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez.

Within that dominant span (minimum 35.0 innings), Littell ranked among National League leaders in several key categories, including opponents’ slugging percentage (5th, .299), home runs per nine innings (6th, 0.50), ERA (7th, 2.27), and opponents’ batting average (9th, .197).

His success was especially evident in May, when he went 5-0 with a 2.35 ERA (8 ER in 30.2 innings) and a .209 opponents’ average, striking out 19 across six appearances. He was tied for the Major League lead in wins during the month.

Littell has shown he can anchor the rotation with consistency and efficiency, limiting hard contact and keeping his team in games. His extended stretch of dominance earlier this season highlights his ceiling when he’s commanding the zone, and his ability to string together quality starts gives Washington a dependable presence against strong opponents like New York.

Winning is FUN: The Nationals are rolling, going 7-4 (.636) over their last 11 games while outscoring opponents 69-58 during that stretch. Since April 25, Washington owns a strong 37-30 (.552) record and has been especially consistent in series play, going 12-4-1 over their last 17 sets dating back to May 12.

With 48 wins already in hand, the Nationals are tied for the most victories in franchise history prior to the All-Star break, matching the 2018 club. The only team ahead of this pace is the 2017 Nationals, who finished the first half with 52 wins.

Power at first: Luis García Jr. is putting together a true breakout season, already setting a career high with 20 home runs while closing in on his previous best of 70 RBI from 2024. He’s firmly among the National League’s most productive hitters, ranking second in RBI (68) and slugging percentage (.572), seventh in OPS (.894), and tied for ninth in home runs.

Since May 24, García Jr. has arguably been the hottest hitter in baseball. Over that span, he leads the Majors in home runs (17), RBI (46), and slugging percentage (.784), while ranking second in OPS (1.157). His power surge has been especially pronounced recently, with 11 home runs in his last 18 games — the second-most in MLB since June 19.

During his current 11-game stretch, García Jr. is hitting .455 (20-for-44) with four doubles, seven home runs, 19 RBI, three walks, and 11 runs scored, driving the Nationals’ offense on a nightly basis.