Photo by Jake Stephens/TalkNats

The Washington Nationals have another evening game tonight. The Nats will also be submitting their final roster today for tomorrow’s Spring Breakout game.

In other news, Venezuela is the World Baseball Classic champs after defeating USA by a final score of 3-2. Remember when the Nats beat Venezuela two weeks ago in an exhibition game by a score of 5-1? Does that make the Nats one of the best teams in the world?

Manager Blake Butera has to be thinking of Opening Day which is a week from tomorrow. Zack Littell will get his second start today as he ramps up for the regular season. It’s possible that Littell can start Monday’s game in the exhibition against Baltimore.

This stat has shocked people when we posted that the Nats have the best ERA in all of baseball during Spring Training at 2.97. But the same can’t be said for the Nats defense that has committed 10 errors in the last four games.

❝Defense is controllable, in my mind.❞

— Butera said

Yes, defense matters and it was almost perfect yesterday to preserve a 1-0 win in the smallest of margins.

At this point, we only have 23 Spring Training games in the books and the one exhibition game, and no batter has more than 37 official plate appearances on the Washington Nationals. And for that matter, no pitcher has more than 13⅓ innings in official games.

Also, 68 Nationals have had at least one plate appearance with another two entering games without plate appearances for a total of 69 position players. On top of that, 53 Nats’ pitchers have appeared in games.

Looks like Drew Millas and Keibert Ruiz make the Opening Day roster as the 2 catchers after Harry Ford and Riley Adams are both sent Triple-A. Also, Abimelec Ortiz was sent to Triple-A.

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) March 18, 2026

As the starters play deeper into games, there will be more plate appearances and more innings going forward. Some of the offensive numbers are really really bad on those stat sheets.

Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals

Stadium: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL
1st Pitch: 6:05PM EDT
TV: Nationals.TV and the MLB app
Radio:  Marlins Radio and the MLB app

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