Nats to open 2020 at Mets, will face entire AL West

The Nationals just completed a high-intensity series at Citi Field, and now they already have to start looking ahead to their next trip to Queens - in March.

Major League Baseball unveiled its 2020 schedule this afternoon, never mind the fact there are still seven weeks remaining in the highly compelling 2019 season, and it features the earliest opening day in history: March 26.

All 30 clubs will be in action on that Thursday, with the Nationals opening up on the road against the Mets for a three-game series. They'll head down to Miami after that for three games with the Marlins, then come back north for their home opener, April 2 against a Mets team that will be all too familiar by that point, followed by a home series with the Marlins. (Sense a pattern here?)

The Nationals face the American League West (plus the Orioles) in interleague play. That means rare appearances in Washington for the Mariners (May 19-20), Astros (July 3-5) and Athletics (Aug. 10-12). The Nats will travel to Seattle (April 13-14), Anaheim (May 11-13) and Arlington, Texas (May 26-28). That will be the club's first road series against the Rangers since 2005, and it will be held at Texas' brand-new ballpark down the road from their current home.

The 2020 Battle of the Beltways comes late, with the Orioles hosting a rare, two-game weekend series (Aug. 8-9) and the Nationals returning the favor with two midweek games (Sept. 15-16).

That September interleague series will be the only matchup the entire last month of the season that doesn't come against an NL East opponent. The Nationals will see plenty of the Braves, Mets, Marlins and Phillies down the stretch, with the regular season concluding Sept. 25-27 at home against Philadelphia.

Click here to download your copy of the schedule.