The first weekend of the 2026 MLB season is in the books. It wasn’t a full slate of games, as six teams had the day off thanks to the quirks of early-season scheduling. However, there was plenty of action, highlighted by several sweeps and strong pitching performances.
Nationals beat Cubs
The Nationals defeated the Cubs on March 29 to give Washington a 2-1 record and a series victory to start the year.
It was a great day for the middle of the Nats’ lineup. The 3-4-5 combo of Brady House, Daylen Lile, and Joey Wiemer combined for seven of Washington’s 11 hits. Wiemer has been arguably the best player for the team this season, as the ex-Marlin hit his second home run of the series on the day.
However, it was not a good day for CJ Abrams (77.8% Whiff%) and James Wood (60%), who struck out four total times. Left-hander Shota Imanaga (39.5% Whiff%) struck out seven but yielded four runs against Washington.
As for the Cubs, the big performer was Alex Bregman. Bregman hit his first home run as a Cub in the fourth, which was followed by an Ian Happ solo shot. The third baseman added a second in the eighth.
Rangers beat Phillies
The Rangers beat the Phillies 8-3 on March 29, headlined by home runs from Brandon Nimmo and Andrew McCutchen. Both McCutchen and Nimmo hit their first home runs as Rangers on the day.
MacKenzie Gore (35.7% Whiff%) struck out seven and picked up his first win as a Ranger. Gore was acquired in an offseason trade from the Nationals.
Jesús Luzardo (36.6% Whiff%) started strong before the home run bug hit him, starting in the third. Luzardo finished with seven strikeouts, two home runs allowed, and six earned runs over six innings.
Reds win series over Red Sox
The Reds won 3-2 on March 29, taking the series from the Boston Red Sox.
Connelly Early and Rhett Lowder, the two starters, both pitched well. However, it was a three-run home run from Eugenio Suarez that finished the deal for the Reds.
Sweeps for three
The Marlins won 4-3 on March 29 to sweep the Colorado Rockies. Owen Caissie hit a game-winning walk-off off Rockies reliever Victor Vodnik.
Milwaukee overcame an early deficit to take the third and final game from the White Sox. Colson Montgomery hit a first-inning grand slam, then received home runs from Munetaka Murakami, his third of the season, and Everson Pereira in the second and third innings, respectively.
However, a six-run eighth inning comeback, highlighted by a Christian Yelich grand slam, helped the Brewers win and sweep the Sox.
The Blue Jays received strong pitching from Eric Lauer (37% Whiff%), who struck out nine over 5.1 innings. Toronto won 5-2 over the Athletics.
Other notes
Houston defeated the Angels 9-7 to split their four-game series.
Seth Lugo tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, and the Royals shut out the Braves 4-1.
Dustin May gave up six earned runs and 10 hits against the Tampa Bay Rays in his Cardinals’ debut. Tampa Bay won 11-7.
The Pirates scored two in the tenth to defeat the Mets 4-3.
Emerson Hancock threw six scoreless innings against the Guardians on Sunday Night Baseball. Seattle shut out the Guardians by a score of 8-0.
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