Dodgers vs. Nationals series preview: Top storylines, Shohei Ohtani in D.C. and tickets

The opening weeks of an MLB season always bring a little extra curiosity for which contenders already look the part, which young teams are ahead of schedule and which stars might be about to put on a show. That’s especially true this weekend, with SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB and giving fans the chance to catch an exciting early-season matchup live in Washington, D.C.

One of the biggest draws on the schedule this weekend is the Washington Nationals welcoming the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first home series of the season. Any time Shohei Ohtani comes to town, it becomes an event. That added buzz should bring even more excitement to Nationals Park as fans get their first chance this year to see the home team in person. 

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals series preview

The reigning champs are off to a 4-2 start to the season after a sweep of Arizona and series loss against the Guardians. The Nationals kicked off 2026 with a strong series win over Chicago, and they were this close to entering Friday at either 4-2 or even 5-1 after suffering two one-run losses to Philadelphia. Still, the Nats look awfully intriguing in the early stages while the Dodgers are, well, the Dodgers. 

Here are the local game times for the series.

Friday, April 3: 1:05 p.m.  Saturday, April 4: 4:05 p.m. Sunday, April 5: 1:35 p.m. 

Dodgers: Will Ohtani get going at the dish?

Things have gone well for the Dodgers, who are unsurprisingly doing very well across the board with the bats, rotation and bullpen all off to very good starts. Shohei Ohtani was stellar in his first pitching start of the year, but he hasn’t quite clicked fully at the plate. He has an on-base percentage over .400 as he’s worked his fair share of walks, but he’s hitting under .200 through his first six games. 

Ohtani is as much-watch as any player in baseball, and he surprisingly hasn’t homered through his first six games. He’s more than capable of going yard in any at-bat, and the Nationals have surrendered eight longballs already this year. This is a good matchup for Ohtani to really get on track at the plate.

Nationals: Will young bats continue to flourish?

The biggest reason Washington has been mighty competitive thus far is a strong showing at the plate from some of the team’s young group of hitters. We all know James Wood is a franchise cornerstone (though he’s off to a tough start), but guys like Joey Weimer, Daylen Lile and Brady House are certainly turning heads thus far.

Lile has a team-leading 11 hits and is flirting with a 1.000 OPS after a stellar rookie season in 2025. House, a former first-round pick, is hitting .348 with a home run and .922 OPS. But it’s Weimer who is the big story in our nation’s capital as he has a ridiculous 10 hits in 17 at-bats (.588 batting average) with two home runs and more walks than strikeouts. He’s arguably been baseball’s biggest standout hitter thus far. 

Top pitching matchup: Tyler Glasnow vs. Jake Irvin (Saturday)

Irvin, a four-year veteran in Washington’s rotation, struck out seven while allowing two earned runs in his season debut against the Cubs. With Josiah Gray hurt and the Nats’ rotation young and unproven, Irving can prove to be a stabilizing force if he pitches like he did in Chicago. 

As for Glasnow, few starters are as talented as the tall right-hander, but injuries have unfortunately been a far-too-common part of his career. He’s an absolute stud when healthy, though, as evidenced by his 2026 debut against Arizona. Glasnow allowed two runs and struck out six in six innings in an L.A. win. Glasnow’s elite stuff against Washington’s young but talented lineup will be awfully fun to watch this weekend.

How to get Dodgers at Nationals tickets on SeatGeek

Want to catch the Dodgers and Nationals this weekend? Here’s how to find tickets on SeatGeek:

1. Start by searching for the series. Open the SeatGeek app or head to SeatGeek’s website, then search for “Dodgers” or “Nationals” to access their schedules. 

2. Choose your game and scope out the seats. Pick the date that works for you, then use SeatGeek’s interactive seat map to browse listings, compare prices and check out your options at Nationals Park.

3. Fine-tune your search and pick your seats. Filter by price, section, number of tickets or Deal Score, then click into a listing to review the details and lock in the seats that fit your plans.

4. Check out and get ready for the ballpark. Complete your purchase securely through SeatGeek, and your tickets will be ready in your account when it’s time to head to Nationals Park.

Grab your MLB tickets on SeatGeek and get ready for a weekend of Ohtani buzz and the first home-series energy of the season in D.C.