The Washington Nationals close out another week of regular season baseball on Saturday, September 26, hosting the New York Mets at Nationals Park for a 12:35 PM ET afternoon first pitch. With the calendar winding down toward season's end, Washington turns to right-hander Connelly Early to take the ball against Mets starter Jonah Tong. Both pitchers are younger arms navigating big-league assignments late in the year, which makes this a genuinely interesting test for both rosters heading into the final stretch of the 2026 regular season.
Probable Starters: Connelly Early vs. Jonah Tong
The Nationals will hand the ball to Connelly Early, one of the organization's developing arms getting meaningful innings at the major-league level. Early's appearances this season have been a window into where the Nationals' pitching development pipeline stands — and every start he makes in September adds to a body of work the front office will evaluate this offseason.
On the other side, the Mets counter with Jonah Tong, another young pitcher working through his own late-season audition. Tong has been part of a Mets staff that has leaned on multiple arms down the stretch, and Saturday's start gives him another opportunity to make a case heading into 2027.
With specific ERA and win-loss data unavailable for either starter heading into this one, the approach at the plate becomes even more important. Facing pitchers without a deep established track record means hitters on both sides will need to do their homework and stay disciplined early in counts.
Keys to Watch at Nationals Park
- Early's command: For the Nationals to win this afternoon, Early will need to keep the Mets' lineup off the bases and avoid big innings. Efficiency through the lineup matters when the bullpen has been taxed late in a long season.
- Offensive production in day-game conditions: Saturday afternoon starts at Nationals Park can play differently — shadows, early first pitches, and a crowd that tends to be more family-oriented on weekends. Washington's lineup will need to stay sharp from the first inning.
- Bullpen management: With two relatively inexperienced starters on the mound, both managers will likely have the bullpen on a shorter leash. How each club navigates the middle innings could decide the game.
- Mets' approach against an unfamiliar arm: New York's hitters facing Early without much scouting data cuts both ways — Early can be unpredictable, but the Mets' lineup has the experience to adjust.
Prediction
These late-September matchups between developing starters are genuinely hard to call, and this one is no different. Both Early and Tong are young arms in situations where anything can happen. That said, Washington has the home-field edge at Nationals Park, and an afternoon crowd on a Saturday can provide real energy. The Nationals earn a narrow win in a low-scoring afternoon game, with the bullpen doing enough to hold the lead after Early works into the middle innings. Nationals 4, Mets 3.
Catch the game on Nationals.TV or tune in locally on WJFK 106.7 The Fan. Mets fans can follow on SNY.
