Nats 2019 schedule released; opens March 28 against Mets at home

The 15th season of Nationals baseball opens the 2019 campaign at home Thursday, March 28 against the New York Mets. It is the earliest start to a season in Nationals history.

Major League Baseball wanted to start the season a week early again this season, as they did last season, so that they can build in an extra three or four off days in each campaign.

The Nats open with three games at home against the Mets and then two games against the Phillies, April 2 and 3.

The Nats will have 13 homestands with two of them longer than nine games. The club will be home for three holidays: Memorial Day May 27 and July 4 against the Marlins, plus the Mets on Labor Day Sept. 2.

Interleague play next season will pit the Nats against the American League Central with home series against the Chicago White Sox (June 4-5), Kansas City Royals (July 5-7) and Cleveland Indians (Sept. 27-29). The Nats will travel to the White Sox (June 10-11), Detroit Tigers (June 28-30) and Minnesota Twins (Sept. 10-12). The Sept. 10 game at Minnesota will be the Nats first game at Target Field since its opening in 2010.

The Beltway Series with the Orioles continues with four games July 16-17 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and at Nats Park on August 27-28.

West Coast trips for the Nats include a four-game series May 9-12 at the Los Angeles Dodgers, at the San Diego Padres (June 6-9), and six games at Arizona Diamondbacks (August 2-4) and San Francisco Giants (August 5-7).

Major League Baseball has made sure the schedule ends heavy with divisional matchups: 20 of the Nats' final 29 games will be against teams from the National League East. Next season, the Nats will finish at home against the Phillies (Sept. 23-26) and the Cleveland Indians (Sept. 27-29).