Nationals' Unconventional Lineup vs Cubs

On March 27, the Washington Nationals kick off their 2026 season Thursday at 2.20pm.

Eastern Time against the Chicago Cubs at Riggly Field.

Cape Cavalli gets the starting nod on the mound, facing left-hander Matthew Boyd for Chicago.

The line of features James Wood leading off in left field, followed by Andrew Shapiro at first base.

Brady House at third, Dailin Lyle as the designated hitter, Joey Weimer and Wright.

CJ Abrams at shortstop, Nazim Nunez at second, Keybert Ruiz behind the plate, and Jacob Young in center.

This setup comes after a spring training full of roster surprises, with the team finalizing their opening group just before the big day.

Fans and analysts are buzzing over some head-scratching spots, especially CJ Abrams dropping to the sixth position.

He's mostly been a lead-off guy in. Nearly 300 big league games.

James Wood leading off against the lefty is also unexpected, since he's usually bad at second.

Meanwhile, Wright handed bats like Shapiro and House slot in early to counter Boyd, though Shapiro's shaky spring makes his number two spot stand out.

The bottom of the order looks like a work in progress.

Manager Blake Boutera's unconventional choices signal more twist-the-head, as the nationals tweak things once the season rolls on.

This has been Washington Nationals News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.