The Washington Nationals’ 2027 spring training slate is set, and it opens with a familiar Grapefruit League mix of division foes, American League visitors and a late-March finish against Baltimore.
Washington starts exhibition play on Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, against the Houston Astros. The Nationals then work through a schedule that includes games against all four National League East opponents, along with matchups versus the Astros, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
The club’s final two spring games come against the Baltimore Orioles, with Washington visiting Camden Yards on March 21 and then hosting Baltimore at Nationals Park on March 22. First-pitch times were not included in the schedule release and are still listed as TBD.
Houston shows up repeatedly on the Nationals’ calendar, with games set for Feb. 19, Feb.
21, Feb. 27, March 4 and March 17, plus a March 19 listing that includes the Astros in one of the split designations.
Washington also has early dates against the New York Mets, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, giving the team a steady run of division matchups right out of the gate.
The Nationals’ schedule includes meetings with every NL East club: the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles. The listed Washington schedule specifically includes games against Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, while Atlanta appears on the full 2027 Grapefruit League grid as a spring-training participant.
Several dates still need to be pinned down. Feb. 28 is listed as either the Miami Marlins or St.
Louis Cardinals, while March 19 is listed as either the Houston Astros or Miami Marlins. Those matchups and venues are still marked for confirmation.
Washington’s schedule also includes games against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 11, the Minnesota Twins on March 12, the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 2 and the Boston Red Sox on March 3. The Nationals will also see the Yankees on March 18.
The most eye-catching finish comes with the Orioles set to meet the Nationals twice in two days, first in Baltimore and then in Washington. Those games stand apart from the clubs’ Florida spring-training home dates and give fans in the Washington-Baltimore area two chances to see the Nationals before the regular season.
For now, every game time remains TBD until the Nationals, MLB or the individual clubs announce them. Additional details such as broadcast information and ticket updates are expected to follow as spring training gets closer.
In Other News...
CJ Abrams Still Has One Big Nationals Question Hanging Over Him
The Nationals have spent the last couple of weeks testing a new path for CJ Abrams, and the latest update suggests they are willing to keep experimenting. After moving him off shortstop in mid-August because of defensive issues, Washington had him debut at second base, where the early looks have been encouraging. It is part of a broader late-season evaluation for a club that is still sorting out pieces for the future, while also tracking the progress of pitchers Connelly Early, Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli as they work through injury recoveries and recent game activity.
Abrams next step is still the interesting one, because the Nationals are not treating this as a simple one-position answer. The more they see him handle the middle infield, the more they can weigh what fits best for him and for the roster, and that decision carries plenty of implications beyond the final weeks of this season. For now, Washington has at least given itself a useful look, and Abrams has given the club reason to keep the conversation going. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Bullpen Suddenly Has Homegrown Arms Fans Need To Watch
A sudden wave of homegrown relief help has given the Nationals bullpen a different look, with Erik Tolman, Jared Simpson and Jack Sinclair all getting their first extended taste of the majors after being developed inside the organization. For a club that always has an eye on whether its pitching pipeline is producing real depth, the early returns have been encouraging, especially since all three arrived as late-round draft picks and have shown sharper command than many expected.
Tolman has been the most eye-opening of the group, working into high-leverage innings and missing bats without giving much away, while Simpson handled his debut like a pitcher who belonged in the moment. Sinclair has also made an immediate impression with a confident first outing, giving the Nationals a trio of young arms worth tracking as the season unfolds. The bigger question now is how long this burst of poise and control can hold once opposing lineups get a second look. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Got An Intriguing Look At Two Very Different Young Arms
A game against the Dodgers gave the Nationals a useful snapshot of two young arms at different points in their development. Jackson Kent was on the mound for his fifth big league start, and the rookie left the outing having worked five innings as Washington tried to see how his stuff would hold up against a lineup with real postseason-level teeth.
The more immediate spark came from Jack Sinclair, who was called on for his Major League debut and handled the eighth inning cleanly. Washington ended up on the short end of a 5-3 loss, but nights like this still matter for a club sorting through its pitching future, especially when one arm is trying to settle in and another is just arriving on the scene. [Read more 🡒]