Three takeaways from the Washington Nationals Opening Day win over the Cubs

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 26: Brady House #55 of the Washington Nationals celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning of the game between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images After the Nats big Opening Day win over the Cubs, I wanted to sit back and see what we can take away from this performance. Obviously it is just one game, but we are always looking for trends.

I found three things that could be important themes of this 2026 season. The Nats are Swinging for the Fences: One of the biggest things I saw yesterday is that the Nats are going to the plate looking to do damage. This team digs the long ball, and they are willing to sacrifice some contact to do that.

The Nats whiffed 20 times against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, but that did not stop them from doing damage. Joey Wiemer and Brady House were two players taking really big hacks, and both were rewarded. Those two hit two of the Nats three home runs.

Wiemer did not strike out, but he did whiff a few times. He was more than happy to let it rip, especially when he was ahead in the count. House did strike out a couple times, but when he made contact, it was loud.