WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals have their home opener at 4:05 p.m. on Monday, April 1. They are hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park.
Although Monday will be their first home game of the season, Washington will begin the season on the road. Opening Day is March 28 and the Nationals will play in Cincinnati.
Monday's home opener will be an exciting day for Nationals fans who have high hopes for the new season. Although the 2024 season will be the team's 17th season at Nationals Park, it will be the National's 20th season overall. Longtime fans may recall the Nationals played their first three seasons at RFK Stadium until Nationals Park opened at the start of the 2008 season.
Since MLB teams often alternate between starting the season at home and on the road, the dates of Opening Day and the home opener can fluctuate as much as two weeks. The Nationals earliest home game of the regular season was Opening Day on March 28, 2019 (an 0-2 loss to the rival N.Y. Mets). The latest the Nationals had their home opener was on April 14, 2005 (a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks).
The warmest Opening Day or home opener at Nationals Park occurred on April 5, 2010, while hosting the Philadelphia Phillies there was a high temperature of 83°. By comparison, D.C.'s chilliest Opening Day occurred on March 31, 2011, against the Atlanta Braves, when there was a daily high and low temperature of only 42°/37°. The rainiest Opening Day at Nationals Park was on April 7, 2022, when a total of 0.68" was recorded.
Since March and April are very changeable weather months, the WUSA9 Weather Team spends a great deal of time on the Opening Day weather forecast for the Washington Nationals.
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