Undefeated in Spring Training, the Washington Nationals aim to extend their streak against the New York Yankees, showcasing promising young pitchers.
The Washington Nationals have yet to lose a Spring Training game. After pulling away with a late win over the Cardinals on Tuesday, this Washington squad is soaking up more than just the sunshine in West Palm Beach. They look to keep riding the wave against the Yankees on Wednesday night.
The Nats capitalized off an eighth inning push against St. Louis, putting up five runs to top St. Louis 6-1. Cardinal command issues helped the Nats pull through on some timely hitting to finally break a 1-1 stalemate that had stood since the third inning.
Taking the mound tomorrow for Washington is young left-hander Andrew Alvarez, who made his Major League debut late in the 2025 season. Alvarez compiled a 2.31 ERA across five appearances for the Nationals last year, and is projected to be a reliable character in a rotation still searching for consistency. A durable southpaw, Alvarez is known for being a contact pitcher with steady command.
From the other bullpen, we get first looks at starting pitcher Ryan Weathers in a Yankee uniform. The left-hander was an offseason addition to the Bronx rotation, after posting a 3.99 ERA with the Miami Marlins last season. Weathers is no stranger to this Nationals lineup, coming from a division foe. In his last start against Washington in September, he threw for five innings with no earned runs and four strikeouts.
The Nationals are one of three unbeaten Spring Training teams so far, and the lone undefeated club in the Grapefruit League. Tuesday’s addition to the win column was sparked by an impressive start from right-hander Cade Cavalli, an Opening Day starter candidate. Cavalli pitched the opening two innings for Washington, allowing no hits with one strikeout and one walk. He was another late-season debut for the Nats in 2025, battling injuries to crack the major league roster. Cavalli brings an electric presence to the mound, intimidating hitters with a high-velocity pitch arsenal.
Cade Cavalli is a strong contender to emerge as the Nationals’ ace this season. Depending on a worthy Spring Training, he could be the remedy to fix the MacKenzie Gore-sized hole in the Washington rotation.
Nats manager Blake Butera has high praise for the young gun. “It’s easy to pull for someone like Cade because of the humbleness. Here’s somebody that's extremely gifted, extremely talented,” he said in a statement to MLB.com earlier this month.
Wednesday will be the first of two games against the Yankees this spring, another test to see if this young squad can keep momentum rolling.