Pitchers, catchers and positions players all came together for the first official full-squad workout of 2026 Spring Training on Monday. The day, however, did not feel much different, as the majority of the position players have been at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches for several weeks, working side by side with the pitchers and catchers throughout much of the month of February.
Still, as President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni and Manager Blake Butera addressed the entire squad for the first time as one group in the clubhouse, the excitement and energy was different than those previous days.
“Letting them know what we’re about and our expectations as a staff, front office and organization,” Butera said. “A lot of new faces obviously. Also letting them know that this is a fully clean slate. They get to write their new chapter. What that looks like is totally up to them. We talked about a player-led clubhouse, holding each other accountable and just having each other’s backs throughout.”
Field 1 and Field 2 saw a rotation of batting practice, defensive drills, pickoffs and rundowns as well as more live BP sessions.
Following practice, outfielder James Wood met with the media and made sure to recognize the hard work and the results that have paid off for a few of his fellow outfielders:
“Definitely Robert Hassell looks a lot different physically,” said Wood. “You could see the difference. He put on a good amount of weight. Dylan looks like he’s made some adjustments swing-wise, so he looks good. I think guys are hungry, so I think that’s good. Everyone’s going to get the best out of each other.”
The work continues on Tuesday, with only four more days until the first games of the 2026 Grapefruit League season. The Nationals will face the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches at 1:05 p.m. ET, a game that can be streamed for free Nationals.TV and heard on Nationals.com.