Nationals Opening Day 2022: Washington Begins Season With 4-Game Series Against Mets

WASHINGTON, DC — Opening day for the 2022 Major League Baseball season is almost here. In Washington, the Nationals are scheduled to play the New York Mets at Nationals Park on Thursday.

Left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin was named opening day starter for the Nationals, with first pitch at 4:05 p.m. The Mets have not decided on a starter.

Former Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who signed a three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets in the off-season, is expected to start against the Nationals on Friday.

The opening day game on Thursday afternoon will be shown locally on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, while Friday night's game will be shown exclusively on Apple TV+.

Rain is in the forecast for Thursday's game in D.C., so there's a chance that the first game of the season gets pushed to Friday. This could mean that only fans with subscriptions to Apple TV+ will get to see the live broadcast of the opening day game.

The Nationals will debut new cherry blossom-themed jerseys on Saturday and Sunday, part of a collaboration with the Washington Wizards. The jerseys are available for sale to the public.

The Nationals posted record jersey sales after they unveiled the cherry blossom-themed uniforms on March 29 and began merchandise sales on March 30.

Unlike the start of the 2021 season, there are no limits on the number of fans allowed into Nationals Park. The stadium also will not require face coverings for fans.

The Nationals said they follow the most up-to-date local and federal guidelines regarding COVID-19 vaccination policies. Any person entering Nationals Park is expected to comply with these guidelines. The District of Columbia currently does not require people to show proof of vaccination before entering Nationals Park.

At the end of their four-game opening series against the Mets, the Nationals head to Atlanta to play the World Series champion Braves in a three-game series starting Monday, April 11 at Truist Park. Visit the Nationals website to see the team's season schedule.

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The Nationals enter the 2022 season with their lowest expectations in more than a decade, similar to the dismal period between 2006 and 2010. The only star they have on the roster is outfielder Juan Soto, who many experts expect to leave the team after the 2024 season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent unless the team demonstrates a commitment to winning.

On paper, the weakest part of the team is the pitching staff. Stephen Strasburg returns to the mound this season after undergoing separate surgeries each of the past two years. Corbin, the opening day pitcher, has had two shaky seasons since the team won the World Series in 2019.

Josiah Gray, a 24-year-old pitcher who the Nationals acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2021, struggled in his first partial season with the Nationals.

In the broadcast booth, this will be the first time since 2011 that Nationals TV play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter will not be teamed with F.P. Santangelo.

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network announced in January that it had hired former Nationals player Kevin Frandsen as the network's color commentator for Nationals television coverage, replacing Santangelo who announced several no-hitters and the magical 2019 run to the World Series where the Nationals defeated the Houston Astros.

The team of Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler are back on 106.7 The Fan to provide radio play-by-play for each game.

The closest Metro station to Nationals Park is Navy Yard-Ballpark on the Green Line, which is just a block from the stadium.

New entry procedures into Nationals Park will use CEIA OpenGate technology, which means fans will not have to remove keys or wallets from their pockets. But bags larger than a small clutch (5 x 7 x 3/4 inches or smaller) must be made of clear plastic, vinyl or PVC. Nationals Park will not search these bags. No backpacks will be allowed into the stadium.

Visit the Nationals website to purchase single-game and season tickets.

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