Nationals Ace Faces Stiff Test in Opening Day Start Against Division Rival
The Washington Nationals are hoping to show their fans that they are serious about getting back into playoff contender status in 2025.
The organization has assembled a young core of hitters that look poised to take the leap toward superstardom this year, led by outfielder James Wood, Dylan Crews and shortstop CJ Abrams.
While that group promises to make the season worthwhile, it will take quality pitching to make it successful.
The Nationals' pitching staff is not an overly talented one on paper, but the ace of the staff has the opportunity to break out and join the ranks of the top starters in the league.
Washington acquired MacKenzie Gore from the San Diego Padres as one of the headliners in the deal that sent Juan Soto to California, and now he's making the first Opening Day start of his career as the team's clear-cut No. 1 starter.
This Opening Day start comes against the Philadelphia Phillies, a World Series contender and one of the teams that the Nationals will have to find ways to beat with regularity if they hope to push for a playoff start.
Gore, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft, excelled in spring training, posting a 2.76 ERA and striking out 18 opponents in 16.1 innings pitched.
If he can carry that momentum over into Thursday's start, he'll set the tone for the season against a tough team, but one that he found success against last year.
As a lefty, Gore is a tough customer for the Phillies. He has the platoon advantage against some of the team's key hitters like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Max Kepler and Bryson Stott.
In four starts against Philadelphia in 2024, Gore posted a 3.42 ERA while racking up 24 punchouts. Impressively, he finished his regular season by holding the Phillies scoreless over six innings to go with nine strikeouts.
That effort lowered his ERA for the year to 3.90, a tidy number that marked the best output of his young career.
Now, the expectations for Gore are to be even better in 2025. Given his draft and prospect pedigree, there's reason to believe he's capable of reaching new heights.
He showed it by turning in some of his best work in 2024 against a Phillies lineup that is one of the best in the league, and his first test of 2025 will come against this same dangerous unit.
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Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.