Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals – Series Preview (March 26-29): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
Cubs baseball is officially back with the regular season getting underway on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Expectations are very high on the North Side after Craig Counsell‘s squad took the Brewers to Game 5 of the NLDS last season.
Chicago made two major changes in the offseason, replacing the departed Kyle Tucker in free agency with All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman and trading for hard-throwing right-hander Edward Cabrera from the Marlins. Otherwise, the roster is very similar to the 92-game winner from 2025.
Almost everyone in the Cubs lineup is dangerous, and it is chock-full of home run power. The offense did struggle a bit in the second half after an explosive first three months of the season, but they’re hoping personnel changes and individual maturation breed more consistency.
The pitching faded down the stretch as well, with both Matthew Boyd and Shōta Imanaga running out of steam in the playoffs. The rotation has much more depth in 2026, including the return of Justin Steele from elbow surgery in late May or early June. The bullpen has variety and experience, and fireballing closer Daniel Palencia cemented his role with a very impressive performance in the WBC.
Chicago’s first opponent in 2026 did not have much success last season. The Nationals finished with 96 losses in 2025 amid a rebuilding project that continued with the trade of their ace MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers in January.
Washington’s pitching was very bad last season, with a team 5.36 team ERA that was second-worst in all of baseball. The bullpen was dead last with an ERA of 5.59, and the staff will be even younger this year. Nats hitters were slightly better, with a .693 team OPS that ranked 24th in MLB. The most dangerous bat in the lineup belongs to James Wood, the young left fielder who hit 31 homers in his first full major league season. Shortstop CJ Abrams can also do damage.
The Cubs have the talent to be a real contender this season, at least on paper. Now is the time to see if that promise can translate into results. The questions are ready to start being answered, so let’s get the party started at the Friendly Confines.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Thursday, March 26 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, March 28 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Sunday, March 29 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 3/26 | Matthew Boyd | 35 | L | 3.21 | 14-8 | 3.65 | 3.67 |
| Cade Cavalli | 27 | R | 4.25 | 3–1 | 4.53 | 2.67 | |
| 3/28 | Cade Horton | 24 | R | 2.67 | 11-4 | 3.58 | 2.94 |
| Miles Mikolas | 37 | R | 4.84 | 8-11 | 5.03 | 2.70 | |
| 3/29 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 3.73 | 9-8 | 4.86 | 4.50 |
| Jake Irvin | 29 | R | 5.70 | 9-13 | 5.64 | 2.00 |
What to Watch For
- Moisés Ballesteros had a huge spring and will likely be in the lineup against the three right-handed Nationals starters.
- Boyd is making his third career opening day start on Thursday after getting the honor in 2020 and ’21 with the Tigers.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong will take the field for the first time since signing his six-year contract extension.
- The forecast for Chicago on Thursday does not look great, and a rainout is a distinct possibility.
