At last, Opening Day is upon us, and the Nationals will open up their 22nd season in franchise history on the road at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. With the 26-man roster set and the rotation lined up, it’s time for the 162-game marathon to begin once more.

The Cubs lost one of their star players, Kyle Tucker, to the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, but the moves they made more than fill the void, as they signed star third baseman Alex Bregman, traded for right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Marlins, and recently extended their young phenom Pete Crow-Armstrong for 5 years and 115 million dollars, buying out 2 years of his free agency. After losing in the NLDs to their bitter rival Brewers this past year, the Cubs have World Series aspirations entering the 2026 season.

2 returning faces to the Nats rotation and 1 newcomer will pitch in the 3-game series for the Nationals. The Cubs have only announced their game 1 starter currently, but it appears likely that it will be 2 returning names for them pitching games 2 and 3.

Game One – Thursday 2:20 PM EST

Today is set to be just the 12th start of Cavalli’s big league career, and this will certainly be the one with the most eyeballs on it. After 14 scoreless innings in Spring Training with 10 strikeouts and just 4 hits allowed, the Nats’ de facto ace looks sharp entering his first of hopefully many Opening Day starts.

The 35-year-old Boyd is an interesting Opening Day starter choice for a strong Cubs rotation, but his success last year does back up the choice, as he posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.65 FIP across 31 starts in 2025. He was roughed up somewhat during Spring Training, allowing 9 runs in 9 1/3 innings of work, so hopefully the Nats bats can take advantage of him still knocking off the rust.

Game Two – Saturday 2:20 PM EST

CHC: TBD (Probable: RHP Cade Horton)

Mikolas was unimpressive in his 3 Spring Training starts, posting a 6.52 ERA, 7.58 FIP, and walking more batters than he struck out. We pretty much know what to expect when it comes to Mikolas, but the 15% walk rate this spring is concerning, as if he can’t escape his own jams, he can’t eat innings and let the bullpen rest, the job he was brought in to do. He does have a career ERA under 4 against the Cubs from his Cardinals days, but he’s allowed a combined 18 earned runs in his last 3 starts against them.

The Cubs haven’t announced their Saturday starter yet, but Fangraphs projects 2nd year righty Cade Horton to get the ball. Horton dazzled across 22 starts for the Cubs in 2025, posting a 2.67 ERA and 2.2 fWAR. He looked sharp in Spring Training as well, posting a 3.78 ERA across 4 starts, meaning the Nats lineup could be in for a fight on Saturday.

Game Three – Sunday 2:20 PM EST

CHC: TBD (Probable: LHP Shota Imanaga)

Irvin looked much sharper in his 4 Spring Training starts than he did in 2025, posting a 1.35 ERA across 13 1/3 innings pitched. Part of the reason for the success was due to a refined pitch arsenal, leaning less on his fastball and more on his secondaries. He’ll open his 2026 campaign against a deep Cubs lineup that will put him to the test right away.

The Cubs have also not announced a game three starter yet, but Fangraphs projects the left-handed Shota Imanaga to take the mound for them on Sunday. Imanaga tested free agency briefly this winter before landing back with the Cubs after accepting his 1 year, 22 million dollar qualifying offer. He pitched 18 innings to middling results this spring, with a 4.50 ERA and 5.93 FIP, but he’ll be a challenge for a Nationals’ lineup where all the thump comes from the left side of the plate.

How Will A Young Nats Roster Respond To A Brutal Opening Schedule?

The Nationals’ schedule to begin the 2026 campaign is brutal, playing 4 playoff teams from 2025 in their first 5 series, followed by a 17-game stretch of games with no days off. I will be watching to see how the young Nats respond to adversity during this stretch, and if they can keep their heads high and play hard even when they’re in a rut.