The Nationals get one last crack at the Mets to close out a season that has swung from hope to disappointment and now into the final stretch. These two teams enter the last series of 2026 separated by just two games in the race for fourth and fifth in the National League East, which is how the fight for the bottom of the division has landed on games 159 through 162.
Washington once had a real chance to stay in the playoff conversation, but that path has faded over the past few months. Even so, the Nats have put together a respectable late run, winning or tying their last four series with a 3-0-1 mark. They’ll try to finish a rough second half with one more positive note before an offseason full of uncertainty.
The Mets arrive with their own regrets. Despite sitting near the top of the league in payroll again, they’ll finish 2026 without a playoff berth.
Their second half has been better than Washington’s, but a terrible start and a pile of injuries shut down any real chance at October baseball. They, too, have won their last two series and will be looking for something to feel good about as the curtain falls.
Friday’s opener is set for 6:45 PM ET, with left-hander Andrew Alvarez getting the ball for Washington. Alvarez is 2-6 with a 3.16 ERA, and his year has already blown past expectations. He now has a shot to put a strong stamp on it, especially with the Mets likely to piece together the game using multiple long relievers.
Saturday brings a 4:05 PM ET matchup that should be a little more familiar on both sides. Washington sends right-hander Jonah Tong, who is 2-2 with a 4.21 ERA, against New York righty Jake Irvin, who is 2-9 with a 5.40 ERA.
Tong has shown the rookie volatility that comes with a September call-up - one strong outing, then two starts in which he allowed four runs - and the Nationals’ left-handed bats could be in position to take advantage. If Irvin can provide some long-awaited stability, that would be a welcome development for Washington as well.
Sunday’s finale starts at 3:05 PM ET and flips the script again. Left-hander DJ Herz, who is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA, gets the nod for the Nationals against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea, who is 6-7 with a 4.67 ERA.
New York has the veteran edge in that matchup, though neither pitcher has had much success this season. Herz still looks like a possible future MLB option for Washington, and the Nationals would love to see him finish his brief 2026 run on a high note.
In Other News...
Eli Willits Is Forcing His Way Into The Nationals' Future
Eli Willits has gone from intriguing name to one of the clearest reasons for optimism in the Nationals system. The organizations top prospect moved through three minor league levels this season and kept producing at every stop, showing the kind of all-around impact that tends to make a front office pay attention. Baseball America took notice, and so did anyone tracking Washingtons next core.
What stands out most is how complete the profile looks right now. Willits paired extra-base power with speed, drawing plenty of walks while piling up doubles, triples and stolen bases along the way. MLB Pipeline still projects his arrival around the 2028 season, which means there is time for him to keep growing, but the early returns suggest Washington may already have a prospect who is making a real case to shape its future sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect Pipeline Just Sent A Message Fans Needed
The Nationals farm system got a jolt of validation from Rochesters run through the International League postseason, where the Red Wings kept turning to familiar prospect names and kept finding answers. Riley Adams, Andrew Pinckney and Cortland Lawson all helped carry the load in a tight championship setting, while the pitching staff had to patch together nine innings with eight arms to get through the final test against Memphis.
For Washington, the more important takeaway may be the broader depth on display across the season and the postseason, with Seaver King, Trey Lipscomb, Luis Perales and Yohandy Morales all factoring into a stretch that put the organizations pipeline in a better light. The Red Wings now move on to Las Vegas for the Triple-A National Championship Game, and for a franchise still building toward its next core, that kind of late-season momentum is the sort of message fans have been waiting to hear. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Could Face A Painful Young Infield Decision This Offseason
The Nationals are heading into an offseason defined by two overlapping priorities: fixing a pitching staff that needs real attention and figuring out how to fit the next wave of young infield talent into the big league picture. Washington has farm-system pieces on the way for 2027, but the club also has a crowded mix of first base and infield candidates already in the pipeline, including Abimelec Ortiz, Andres Chaparro, Yohandy Morales and Brady House.
That creates an uncomfortable kind of flexibility for Paul Toboni, who will have to balance player development against the chance to use from that group as trade currency. If the Nationals want to add pitching without spending heavily in free agency, some of those young bats could become the obvious path, and the organization has to decide whether to keep building around them or turn one of them into help now. [Read more 🡒]