The Washington Nationals will celebrate Opening Day and the start of their 20th Anniversary celebration on Thursday, March 27, with a 4:05 p.m. matchup versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Hall of Fame sportswriter Thomas Boswell will throw out the ceremonial first pitch; fan-favorite D.C. Washington is set to perform the national anthem; the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. is slated to perform “America the Beautiful”; and Mayor Muriel Bowser will give the call to ‘Play Ball!’ Ballpark gates open at 2:00 p.m., and the first 20,000 fans will receive an Opening Day “Next Gen Natitude” T-shirt. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 3:15 p.m. to enjoy the pregame ceremonies. For more information on Opening Day and to purchase tickets, visit nats.com/OpeningDay.
Ahead of the game, the World-Famous Budweiser Clydesdales will take a tour around the Navy Yard neighborhood at 1:15 p.m. before completing their walk at Nationals Park. Fans will have the chance for photos in front of the Center Field Gates from 1:45 to 2:00 p.m.
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 Opening Day ceremonial first pitch. 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. A native Washingtonian, Boswell is already a member of the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame and Society of Professional Journalists D.C. Pro Chapter Hall of Fame, and his name has graced the walls at Nationals Park since 2015 when he was inducted in the Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame. He began his career at The Washington Post in 1969 and covered his first World Series in 1975, going on to work every Fall Classic until 2020.
A favorite among local sports fans, Dwight Clyde “D.C.” Washington will perform the national anthem at the team’s home opener for the fourth consecutive year. Washington is a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army and beloved by locals for his anthem renditions at Nationals Park and other venues across the area. Washington has performed the national anthem at several memorable Nationals games, including Game 3 of the 2019 World Series, the 2018 Futures Game and Opening Day 2020 in prime time on national television.
The seventh elected mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser has served her hometown in office since 2004 as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (2004-06), member of the DC Council (2007-15) and as Mayor since 2015. On November 8, 2022, she became only the second person elected three times as mayor of Washington, D.C. She is the first African American woman to be elected to three four-year terms as mayor of an American city.
The Opening Day pregame ceremonies will begin with a performance of “America the Beautiful” by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., and will continue with a special appearance from actor and Nationals fan Dave Bautista; an on-field recognition of Nationals Season Plan Holders since 2005; a special banner display presented by Nationals Youth Baseball Academy Scholar-Athletes; a giant American flag unfurled in center field; a flyover by four F-16 jets from the 121st Fighter Squadron, DC Air National Guard; and a recognition of local first responders from the tragic accident that occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National in January.
The Washington Nationals open their 2025 season at home versus the Phillies on Thursday, March 27, at 4:05 p.m. A limited number of tickets are available at nats.com/OpeningDay.