WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There were nerves, plenty of them, Shinnosuke Ogasawara admitted. And when the first major league batter he’d ever faced, Tyrone Taylor, ripped a ball to deep left-center, the Japanese left-hander held his breath for a moment as he waited to see where it would land.

Once Jacob Young tracked it down at the base of the wall, Ogasawara could breathe easy again. This was just another baseball game, ultimately an 11-6 drubbing of a split-squad Mets team, albeit one a continent away from every other baseball game he’d ever pitched.

And though his one-inning Nationals spring training debut included a healthy amount of loud contact, it nevertheless ended with a zero on the scoreboard and a wide smile on Ogasawara’s face.

“Of course the first hitter, he got good contact,” he said, via interpreter Jumpei Ohashi. “I was kind of nervous and upset, but after that it’s fine.”

Ogasawara’s first Grapefruit League outing lasted only eight pitches. The notorious strike-thrower lived up to that reputation, never reaching the fourth pitch to any of the four Mets batters he faced. He threw mostly fastballs, amped up a bit and reaching 92 mph, and never got to his slider before the inning was over.

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Charlie Morton is scheduled to make his Orioles debut Tuesday afternoon against the Tigers in Sarasota. However, everything is tentative at the moment due to Monday’s forecast of heavy rain.

Dean Kremer starts Monday against the Braves in Sarasota. Tomoyuki Sugano is supposed to make his debut Wednesday in Bradenton.

“We’re kind of discussing it right now, what we’re going to do,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’re hoping for the best and we can get the game in, but we’ll see if we’re gonna push guys back or if we’re gonna throw guys in the cage. We’ll make a determination of that tomorrow morning.”

Closer Félix Bautista faced hitters today for the first time since his reconstructive-elbow surgery. He threw live batting practice at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

“I’m looking forward to hearing how it went,” Hyde said. “That’s been a long rehab process for him. I know he’s super pumped up about today, first-day facing guys and facing some of our main guys, too. I know the hitters were excited to see him out there and see what it looks like. He’s made gradual improvements and done everything really, really well from a rehab standpoint.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals’ second game of the exhibition season provides a first opportunity for the team’s new infield to work as one unit.

Today’s lineup against the Mets features returning shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis García Jr., plus new first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and third baseman Paul DeJong. It’s a quartet club officials believe could work extremely well together.

“We should be able to catch the ball,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And I’m looking forward to our pitchers getting on the mound and watching those guys work.”

The Nats knew they were getting a premier defensive first baseman when they traded reliever Robert Garcia for Lowe (who won the Gold Glove Award in 2023 with the Rangers). They believe his presence will especially aid García and Abrams, who now have a security blanket to their left.

“He catches the ball. He makes all the plays,” Martinez said. “It’s a good target for our infielders to throw over there as well. It makes things a lot easier.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – One of the most intriguing stories of the spring is the quest to find out if Shinnosuke Ogasawara is good enough to be successful against major league hitters. The Nationals have scouted the Japanese left-hander plenty, and they’ve seen him throw plenty during the first week-plus of spring training. But now they’re finally going to start to find out how he fares against a real opponent.

There’s only so much they can learn from the one inning Ogasawara is scheduled to pitch this afternoon against a split-squad Mets lineup. But it’s still going to be more tangible evidence than anything else they’ve gotten to date.

The Nats pulled off a 6-3 win over the Astros in Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener, despite a number of regulars sitting out. Those guys will be in the lineup today, so get ready to see CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe, in particular against Mets reliever Ty Adcock, who gets the start.

And, yes, you can indeed see this game in its entirety on MASN, the network’s 2025 spring debut telecast. Tune in at 1 p.m. for all the action live from West Palm Beach.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS (ss)
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m.
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 980 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 74 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

SARASOTA, Fla. – The first exhibition game is done, which brings us to the first road exhibition game. Gas up the rental and head northwest to Clearwater.

If you reach Dunedin, you’ve gone too far.

Left-hander Cade Povich starts against the Phillies after posting a 2.60 ERA and 0.868 WHIP in five September outings and holding opponents to a .162 average. He could be the first alternative if a spot opens unexpectedly in the rotation.

“Povich, what he did in the month of September kind of speaks for itself,” said MASN analyst Ben McDonald, who’s in camp as a guest instructor. “All I heard about him was his stuff was good in the minors, but could he get it over the plate, and I feel like he did in September. His stuff was pretty good.”

The exposure to major league hitters has accelerated Povich’s development.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Robert Hassell III has been here before. One year ago, in his spring training debut, the Nationals prospect went 2-for-3 with a triple. Three days later, he homered. By the end of March, he sported a .357 batting average and 1.198 OPS.

So there was a comfort level for Hassell when he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game this afternoon. Sure, he was annoyed at striking out in his first at-bat back in the fifth and lining out his next time up in the eighth. Here, though, was another opportunity to make a statement.

And that’s just what Hassell did, driving a two-out, two-strike pitch from Astros reliever Joey Mancini off the left field wall for a three-run double, the decisive blow in the Nats’ 6-3 victory to open the Grapefruit League season.

“I think I’m more prepared, for sure,” he said when asked to compare this spring to the previous one. “I think last year, they were coming right at me, the pitchers were. It wasn’t too fast for me, but just like today, I was getting down in counts a little bit. But I’m definitely more comfortable just from being here, for sure.”

A year ago, Hassell wasn’t able to parlay a strong spring into a strong regular season. Hampered yet again by a persistent hand injury, he was limited to 85 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. He batted just .241, slugged just .328, totaled just 16 extra-base hits in 362 plate appearances.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A bunch of guys are going to play for the Nationals today in their Grapefruit League opener against the Astros. But not everyone.

Some prominent regulars are being held back and are expected to debut Sunday against the Mets, including CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe. That’s the routine in late February, when hardly anyone plays in back-to-back games.

Then there are those players who aren’t ready to take the field for game action quite yet. And there are some significant names on that list.

Most notable is James Wood, who has been dealing with right quad tendinitis. The 22-year-old outfielder continues to take batting practice, and on Friday he was cleared to begin light running. But there doesn’t appear to be a rush to get him into games just yet.

“He’s been hitting. He’s starting to a run a little bit,” manager Davey Martinez said. “But we’re kind of going to slow play this a little bit and try to nip this in the bud.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Who’s ready for some baseball? I can assure everyone here is, having made it through 10 days of pitchers and catchers and eventually full-squad workouts. Those days get tedious toward the end, and everyone is itching to get the Grapefruit League started this afternoon.

The Nationals are on the road for their opener, but that doesn’t mean they have to pack their bags and board a bus to go anywhere. Because they’re facing their co-residents of CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, all they have to do is make sure they’re wearing gray pants and prepare to bat in the top of the first. It’s not a bad situation at all.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for the opener, and the right-hander is thinking big things for his 2025 season. Irvin knows consistency is the name of the game, and while there’s only so much he can during his one scheduled inning this afternoon, he can get things off on a right foot with a quick, easy frame against Houston.

The Astros have split-squad games today, so half of the team is headed up to Port St. Lucie to face the Mets while the other half stays here for this game. Their starter this afternoon is Ryan Gusto, a 25-year-old right-hander who had a 3.70 ERA and 141 strikeouts last season at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Facing Gusto is a Nats lineup featuring some, but not all, of the regulars. With CJ Abrams sitting until Sunday, it'll be Dylan Crews in the leadoff spot and Amed Rosario at shortstop. We'll also see Keibert Ruiz behind the plate and Josh Bell serving as designated hitter.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If there was any reason to debate who will hold the top spot in the Nationals’ batting order to begin the season, Davey Martinez put it to rest today with a fairly definitive revelation.

“CJ is going to lead off,” the eighth-year manager said. “The 3-4-5 will be kind of different. The 2-spot might be a little different at times. But we do know CJ’s going to lead off for us, and we’ll go with that for now.”

So there you have it: CJ Abrams will reclaim the leadoff spot he held for the majority of the 2024 season but did lose at one point when he was struggling at the plate.

The Nats have long believed in Abrams as their long-term answer at the top of the lineup. And over a 13-month stretch from July 2023 into August 2024, he held that job nearly every day, batting .252 with a .318 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage, 111 runs scored, 35 doubles, nine triples, 28 homers, 89 RBIs and 56 stolen bases.

But Abrams’ second half slump last summer prompted Martinez to move him out of the leadoff spot for a while, giving him a chance to clear his mind and hopefully get himself back on track. During that stretch – and during the final week of September after Abrams was demoted to the minors for disciplinary reasons – rookie Dylan Crews took over the No. 1 position in the order.

Fan-selected top 20 moments will be displayed throughout the ballpark;
three will be featured in Mystery Bobblehead giveaway on May 24

The Washington Nationals asked, and thousands of fans cast their ballots to choose the NATS20 Fan Favorite Moments, part of the Washington Nationals season-long 20^th Anniversary celebration. Images representing the fan-selected top 20 will be prominently displayed throughout the ballpark beginning this season, and three will be featured as part of the Mystery Moments Bobblehead giveaway on Saturday, May 24. To learn more about the Nationals 20^th Anniversary festivities and purchase tickets, visit nats.com/NATS20.

From the Ryan Zimmerman walk-off homer that rang loud as liberty to open Nationals Park in 2008, to a 2019 World Series Championship celebration that lasted until the dawn’s early light and Teddy’s hard-fought first win in the Presidents Race, there has been no shortage of legendary memories in the Nationals’ first 20 years in Washington, D.C. A group of panelists, including Zimmerman; broadcasters Bob Carpenter, Kevin Frandsen, Dave Jageler, Dan Kolko and Charlie Slowes; public address announcer Jerome Hruska; and organist Matthew Van Hoose, helped select an initial list of favorites, which was then whittled down to 20 during a two-week online voting period in which thousands of Nationals fans submitted their selections.

Three NATS20 Fan Favorite Moments – Jayson Werth’s 2012 National League Division Series walk-off, Howie Kendrick’s 2019 World Series home run off the foul pole and a career worth of Ryan Zimmerman walk-offs – will be featured as part of the Mystery Bobblehead giveaway on Saturday, May 24, when the Nationals host the San Francisco Giants for a 4:05 p.m. matchup. Twenty-thousand fans in attendance will receive one of the three collectibles. Click HERE to purchase tickets. Additionally, the top 20 will be celebrated throughout the season with snapshots around Nationals Park.

The complete list, in chronological order:

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After 10 days of official workouts, not to mention plenty more unofficial workouts that took place before camp actually opened, the Nationals are undoubtedly ready for something different. Like exhibition games, which fortunately start showing up on the schedule Saturday.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” manager Davey Martinez said. “As I’ve said before, these guys have been here for a while now. They’re itching to get out there and compete.”

The Nationals wrapped up the first portion of spring training today with one final full-squad workout on the back fields behind CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. They’ll finally set foot inside the main stadium Saturday to face the Astros in both teams’ Grapefruit League opener.

Don’t expect the entire projected Opening Day lineup to be out there right off the bat. We already know James Wood (who is dealing with left quad tendinitis) is being held back for the moment. It also sounds like CJ Abrams will sit Saturday, with veteran utilityman Amed Rosario getting the nod at shortstop.

“We’re still in February,” Martinez said. “I’m going to give everybody a chance to get out there and play and get going. We’ve just got to be careful. The ultimate goal is to keep everyone healthy and get them ready for Opening Day at the end of March.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Baseball is a game of punches and counterpunches. 

Last season, Colton Cowser came out of the gates swinging. The former fifth-overall pick mashed his way through April and March to the tune of a .303/.372/.632/1.004 slash line. 

The elite defense didn’t hurt either. 

Cowser ranked in the 96th percentile in both outs above average and arm strength. His 11 OAA ranked eighth among all outfielders in the game and was best among left fielders. Couple great defense and an incredible start at the plate, and you’ve got an everyday starter. 

But then came a counterpunch. 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was posted on the Nationals’ official “X” account one week ago, Feb. 14. The caption read: “Jacob but he goes by Jacked ??” The accompanying photo showed Jacob Young in a batting cage, holding his bat behind his head as he looked at someone (A teammate? A coach?) behind and to the right of the camera, which was positioned at a low angle looking up at him in a way that highlighted his surprisingly large biceps.

At last check, the post had generated more than 203,000 views. Which is only slightly more than the number of texts Young received about the photo.

“More than anything else that’s ever been put out there of me,” he said with a laugh.

Was that an accurate depiction, Young was asked, of the size of his arms?

“No,” he said, laughing again. “I think, honestly, good angle. Whoever was on the camera deserves a raise from me.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – As Saturday’s exhibition opener creeps closer, the Nationals are trying to make sure they cover all their bases during these final days of full-squad workouts. Literally.

This morning’s session included the entire defense on the field as one, specifically working on proper relay technique. Outfielders tracked down balls hit to the gaps or corners. Infielders positioned themselves to either receive the relay throw, back up the relay throw or cover an open base. Pitchers ran to their correct backup position in foul territory.

It can all sound mundane, especially for players at the major league level. But manager Davey Martinez pointed out the importance of everyone involved getting it right.

“It is repetitive, but what we’re trying to teach them is: These things do matter,” Martinez said. “The dropping of the ball, the making of a good throw to the bases, to understand that you don’t leave your feet if the guy throws the ball, we’ve got a trail guy behind, all that stuff. Believe it or not, when you see them do it, sometimes they forget. As I always say … we treat these guys like they’re from Mars, they don’t know anything from the game.”

Martinez believes the Nationals cost themselves runs during the course of the 2024 season with seemingly little mistakes that allowed runners to take extra bases (especially trailing runners). That’s why he wants all cut-offs to be caught cleanly, and why he wants the other infielders and pitchers in correct position to cover bases or back up the play in case someone does try to steal an extra 90 feet.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Two weeks into the new year, the Nationals had only one relief pitcher on their roster with any kind of substantial big league experience: Derek Law. Clearly, Mike Rizzo still had plenty of work to do before the start of spring training.

The process remains slow, but the Nats have managed to add three experienced relievers over the last month. They signed right-hander Jorge López to a $3 million deal on Jan. 11. They signed left-hander Colin Poche to a minor league deal on Feb. 7. And then on Wednesday they signed right-hander Lucas Sims to a $3 million deal.

At long last, a bullpen that was woefully short on proven arms now has four veterans to take some pressure off the organization’s young relievers.

“These guys have done it. They understand it. They’ve done it at the major league level,” manager Davey Martinez said. “They can teach our younger guys what it takes to go out there and compete, to be put in these high-leverage situations. Talk to them about controlling your heartbeat, always being ready, what their routine is like in every situation. I’m excited about the guys we brought in, the veteran guys, because they’re willing to do that.”

All three newly signed veterans have said the right things about their individual responsibilities and their desire to mentor younger teammates who haven’t been through the meat grinder before.

Hall of Fame sportswriter Thomas Boswell, whose columns chronicled the return of baseball to the nation’s capital, the Washington Nationals 2019 World Series run and everything in between, will throw out the ceremonial Opening Day first pitch as the Club begins its 20^th Anniversary celebration on Thursday, March 27. Visit nats.com/February to secure tickets to all Nationals home games with no fees through the end of the month.

“It's my great honor to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day,” Boswell said. “I'd be better suited to write about and perhaps make fun of someone else doing it. But, for a D.C. native who waited 33 years for a team to return to town and then win the World Series six years ago, fantasy-come-true is an understatement. 

“Thanks to the Nats. And to Washington's fans for our rich, fun 50-year ride together.”

Boswell spent more than 50 years as a sportswriter and columnist at The Washington Post and was named the 2025 winner of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Career Excellence Award. He will be honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., during this summer’s induction weekend and will be included in an exhibit alongside other writers and broadcasters.

“We are honored to have Tom throw out the first pitch on Opening Day. He’s been a tremendous champion of Major League Baseball in Washington, D.C., and he is truly deserving of this honor,” said Mark D. Lerner, Managing Principal Owner of the Washington Nationals. “We were so happy to see Boz recognized by the Hall of Fame, and there is no better person to help us start our 20^th Anniversary season. My father was such an admirer of his work, and we are all so excited to see him in Cooperstown this summer.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Two days into full-squad workouts, more than a few observers have noticed a crispness to the Nationals’ infield defense that wasn’t always there last year.

With middle infielders CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. returning, now joined on the corners by Nathaniel Lowe and Paul DeJong, the unit as a whole looks sharper than it did last season.

“We’ve got to catch the baseball. We talk about it all the time,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We were really good in the beginning, and toward the second half we were not good at all. We’ve got to be consistent, and I think with the guys we brought in … they’re going to help our young guys.”

Lowe takes over at first base, already the proud owner of a Gold Glove Award from 2023 when he was with the Rangers. DeJong, just signed this week, doesn’t look inexperienced at third base, even though he only moved there from shortstop in the middle of the 2024 season.

Abrams is still working on his fielding mechanics and can look a bit stiff at times, but the organization believes the All-Star shortstop is primed to make significant strides after his second half struggles last season.

SARASOTA, Fla. – There aren’t many prospects in baseball with an 80 grade tool. 

The grading scale, ranging from 20 to 80, evaluates five different tools for position players: Hit (evaluating contact), power, run (evaluating overall speed offensively and defensively), arm and field. 

MLB Pipeline’s highest graded position player, Roman Anthony, doesn’t have a single grade above a 60. Nor does Walker Jenkins, Pipeline’s third overall prospect in their top 100. 

Coby Mayo’s prodigious power has a 70 grade according to Pipeline’s scouts. As do the power tools of some recent top draft picks like Jac Caglianone and Charlie Condon. 

It’s very rare to find a perfect grade of an 80. Enrique Bradfield Jr., according to some outlets, has two: run and field. 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Josiah Gray knows exactly where he currently stands in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

“I’m about six months and three weeks in,” he said. “It’ll be seven months on the 24th.”

Forgive the Nationals right-hander for being able to recite such specific mileposts off the top of his head. It’s just the way it is for any rehabbing pitcher. It’s about the only way to stay sane throughout this long, arduous process.

Since he went under the knife July 24 to have his torn elbow ligament replaced and have an internal brace implanted in the elbow to further stabilize everything, Gray has known when he’ll be allowed to do what.

For six months, all he could do was exercise and physical therapy. Nothing with a baseball allowed. Then on Jan. 27, he finally got to cross a major item off the rehab list when he played catch for the first time since surgery.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Before his team took the field for the first official full-squad workout of the spring, Davey Martinez gathered everyone together this morning for his first “Circle of Trust” meeting of the spring.

No, there weren’t any camels. Nor any other live animals. Yet. (There’s still five weeks of camp to go, of course.)

There was, however, a message from the manager that didn’t resemble any of the previous seven camp-opening messages he has delivered during his time here. Martinez’s first four teams were veteran-laden squads that expected to win big. His last three teams were firmly in the rebuilding category, with long-term development taking precedence over short-term success.

The tone this year, Martinez believes, should be different.

“I hear a lot about how our core guys are going to be really good, and they’re coming. I don’t really want to hear that anymore,” he said. “I told them today: ‘We’re here. This is the core. These are the guys we anticipated would be here. You guys are here. You got your feet wet. It’s time to go out there and perform every day, go 1-0 every day.’