Thursday, February 19

Welcome to the latest edition of the Nationals Beat newsletter. This is your stop for the latest on and off the field, from news to exclusive player interviews and insights, brought to you by MLB.com club reporter Jessica Camerato.

The 2026 Winter Olympics have been capturing the attention of the Nationals during Spring Training. Every day, the worldwide events have been a main event in the clubhouse. I wondered: if the players could swap out their gloves and bats to participate in a Winter Olympic sport, which one would they choose? 

OF Dylan Crews: “Figure skating. One, I’ve got the physique to do it. Two, the footwork is immaculate. I mean, that’s all I have to say.” 

2B Luis García Jr.: “Bobsled. That’s the best one. We need four people. (Looks at his teammates sitting next to him at their lockers) [James] Wood, me, [Daylen] Lile and Crews.”

Lile: “Where’s James sitting?”

Wood: “I’d be in the front.” 

García: “Everybody’s talking, it’s the best one.” 

RHP Jake Irvin: “Hockey, because it rocks. It’s an awesome sport.”

RHP Cade Cavalli: “I’d probably do curling. I enjoy throwing cornholes. It’s a similar idea. You have to have some touch and some feel. And it looks fun. I feel like I’d be the sweeper as well. I’d get after it.”

OF Daylen Lile: “Probably snowboard freestyle. It looks fun. I’ve skateboarded before, but it would be pretty cool to go on a ramp and try different tricks and try to land it.” 

RHP Griff McGarry: “The ski jump. I’ve got some pretty decent ankle mobility. I feel like I could set the angle and be able to fly a little bit through the sky. Plus, I’m sure it’s pretty exhilarating, so it would be a fun one to do.” 

OF James Wood: “Curling. It looks fun.” 

C Drew Millas: “Probably hockey. I think, in my opinion, it’s the coolest Winter Olympics sport, especially with what’s behind it for hockey. The guys take pride in their nation and they take pride in playing for their country. I think it’s very, very serious. A very physical aspect, too.” 

SS Nasim Nuñez: “Snowboarding. It’s just fire. I’d want my pictures taken.” 

OF Jacob Young: “I would say there’d be two: I’d either do the halfpipe because I think it’s really fun to watch, or I would speed skate because that looks so much fun.” 

RHP Andre Granillo: “The enforcer [in hockey]. I've never been into a fight in my entire life, but I think I’d be down to just check them.” 

RHP Jackson Rutledge: “I would want to do a skeleton or bobsled. They’re absolutely flying. They’re doing 75, 80 miles an hour. Not a lot of control. No real steering wheel. I think it’d be fun.” 

RHP Brad Lord: “Definitely the luge. Me and Rut (who is standing nearby, listening) could do the doubles, definitely kill that. It would be a lot of fun, going fast and trying just trying to steer. It would be awesome.” 

SS Seaver King (No. 10 prospect): “Hockey. It seems the most entertaining and probably the hardest, I would say. Besides baseball, I think it’s the hardest sport. I’d want to score, [be] a forward or something.” 

LHP Jake Eder: “I think it would be snowboarding, and here’s my reason: If I have to train for four years, I definitely don’t want to be pushing the broom on a curling thing for four years. So I get to ride a snowboard every day? Yeah."

If you have watched a Nationals game against the Mets, there is a chance you have seen Drew Smith pitch over the years. The right-hander had played for New York since 2018, missing the 2019 and ‘25 seasons because of Tommy John surgery. 

Smith is staying in the NL East this year after signing a Minor League deal with the Nationals that includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Smith said he has considered himself “fully healthy” since last October, and he got to work in the bullpen on Wednesday morning. 

“I'm hoping I can be quick and efficient,” Smith said, “Be a competitor, look calm, cool and collected under pressure, and that's kind of what I pride myself on.”

The Nationals will begin Grapefruit League competition with split-squad action hosting the Astros and playing at the Cardinals on Saturday. 

The home opener at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will be available for free on Nationals.TV. There is no credit card required to watch this game. Viewing is available by logging into your MLB account on MLB.com or in the MLB App. 

This will be the first game with the new broadcast team of Dan Kolko (play-by-play announcer), Kevin Frandsen (analyst) and Alexa Datt (host and reporter). 

For more information on viewing Nationals games this Spring Training and season, visit nationals.com/watch. 

Left-hander Jake Eder will get the start at home; left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara will start at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

“I’m not treating it any differently than a bullpen or a live BP that I’m just going out to compete in,” said Eder, who was acquired last Trade Deadline from the Angels. “Obviously with fans and being a real game bringing the intensity, the adrenaline will be there. That will come naturally. I think the biggest thing will be taking that in, controlling it, not trying to do too much and just being who I am.”

Jake Irvin kept his birthday tradition going this year. To celebrate turning 29 on Wednesday, Irvin made plans at his annual dinner spot: Applebee’s. 

Irvin’s go-to meal dates back to college. Last Spring Training, he explained, “I go for the wings, stay for the wings and celebrate a nice, beautiful birthday with Applebee’s wings.” 

This is a busy month of celebrations in the Nationals clubhouse. Joey Wiemer (Feb. 11), Brad Lord (Feb. 14), Harry Ford (Feb. 21), Abimelec Ortiz (Feb. 22) and Dylan Crews (Feb. 26) also were born in February.

• Saturday: Opening Day Giveaway

• Tuesday, Feb. 24: Bark in the Park; Hero Days

• Friday, Feb. 27: Happy Hour

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