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Good Morning, Washington Nationals fans.
Here are your Washington Nationals Morning headlines, news, analysis, and more for Friday, April 3, 2026. Welcome home Washington Nationals fans!!
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The Weekend Ahead
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
The Nats finally return home for their home opener of the season after starting the season on the road. For their first series, they host a weakened but formidable foe in the Dodgers, in a series that lasts through the weekend.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
After a day of travel, the Nationals face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers today for the first game at Nationals Park of the season, starting at 1:05 PM ET
The game can be watched through Nationals.tv and listened to on WJFK 106.7 The Fan via the MLB app
Tomorrow evening’s game against the Dodgers starts at 4:05 PM ET, while the last game of the weekend series on Sunday starts at 1:35 PM ET
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
With the Dodgers coming off a series against the Cleveland Guardians, where their bats couldn’t seem to wake up, the Nats have a real chance to be a threat to the back-to-back defending champions. Particularly with the Nats’ offense being as on a roll as they are, outscoring opponents by multiple runs in half of their games, the team could take serious advantage of Los Angeles’ poor performance and lack of momentum from their previous series.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
How do you think the Nats will fare in this weekend’s series? Do you think they’ll be able to capitalize on the Dodgers’ recent hitting issue?
📬 SUBSCRIBER CTA
For everyone headed to today’s game, make sure to check out Richard’s article to see how to stay safe as you make your way to the ballpark for the game.
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Impressive Offensive Strength
Via Washington Nationals
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
With the first two series of the season done, it’s worth looking at what’s gotten them to their strong 3-3 start. One of the biggest factors so far has been the strength of the offense and their ability to put up runs when it matters.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
Through just one week and two series, the Nationals have scored the third most runs in Major League Baseball with 38, hitting onto base and pressuring the defense and opposing pitchers
So far this season, the Nats have scored high in comparison to their opponent, outsourcing them by multiple runs in their wins, and losing by just one run in all but one of their losses
The highlight of the offense has been Joey Wiemer, who was claimed off waivers on January 5th after being designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants, and has been a major factor in the Nats taking their series against the Chicago Cubs and making the Philadelphia Phillies have to work for their wins
In his 17 at-bats, the leftfielder has scored seven runs on just ten hits with two home runs and a batting average that almost touches .600 at .588, as well as an impressive OPS of 1.741
On top of the statistics, Wiemer’s been consistent with his hitting, going so far as to tie the MLB record for the most consecutive plate appearances reaching safely to start a season with ten, something that has only been done by one other player in 106 years
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
“He’s said before, he’s got to earn everything. And we’re kind of building our team around the mindset of ‘earn everything we get.’ So just to see the way he's going about his business every day has been awesome,” said manager Blake Butera on Wiemer’s fantastic start.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
What have you thought of the Nats’ offensive production so far this season? Do you think they can keep it up going into April?
📬 SUBSCRIBER CTA
For a look into the Nats’ strong start, be sure to check out this article on Blake Butera’s approach to managing the team and the spark it’s brought to the players.
Want the full breakdown before anyone else? 🔔 Subscribe to The Nats Report Morning Briefing — exclusive access, deep dives, and insider audio drops every weekday morning.
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theFUTURE
Via Washington Nationals
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
While two of the Nats’ minor league teams start their seasons today, both the Red Wings and the Senators have seen some action. While the Senators played their first game just yesterday, the Red Wings kicked off their home opener earlier this week.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
After falling behind early, the Red Wings came back to beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 5-4 on Wednesday, powered by a very crucial three-run fifth inning that included two homers from Trey Lipscomb and Yohandy Morales
Behind a strong start from pitcher Andrew Alvarez, who went five innings and racked up a total of ten strikeouts, the Red Wings powered past the RailRiders 3-1 yesterday
Today, Rochester takes on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a doubleheader to make up for their rained-out game on Tuesday; the first game starts at 1:05 PM ET, and the second game starts just half an hour after the first one ends
The Harrisburg Senators started their season on a high note yesterday, beating the Altoona Curve 7-2 with a strong three-run sixth inning and a two-run eighth inning
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
“He gave up that big leadoff homer on a secondary pitch and then he settled down and did a nice job. And then hopefully he continues to gain confidence. He had a great spring. For him to be able to do it against a team of this caliber, hopefully he’ll get that confidence going and carries it over,” said manager Matt LeCroy on Wednesday’s starter, Riley Cornelio, who’s looking to build onto his 2025 season, where he was named the Nationals’ minor league pitcher of the year.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Do you think the Red Wings will take both games of the doubleheader or just one? How much promise do you think the Senators showed in their first game?
📬 SUBSCRIBER CTA
For more on how Rochester’s season could go, be sure to check out this article on the Nats’ latest reported signing, who could be joining the team soon.
Want the full breakdown before anyone else? 🔔 Subscribe to The Nats Report Morning Briefing — exclusive access, deep dives, and insider audio drops every weekday morning.
WHAT WE THINK THE NATIONALS FRONT OFFICE IS READING
Speed Reads
📌 Abimelec Ortiz Prospect Spotlight: Nationals Power Hitter Off to Hot Start with Rochester Red Wings
📌 Nationals Move on From Slugging Minor League First Baseman (Sports Illustrated)
📌 A comprehensive dive into what we've learned so far from ABS challenges (MLB)