Gore Named Starting Pitcher For Nats 2025 Home Opener: What To Know

WASHINGTON, DC — On Monday, the Washington Nationals named Mackenzie Gore as the starting pitcher for the 2025 home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 27. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. at Nationals Park.

Opening day pregame festivities at the ballpark include: T-Shirt giveaway for 20,000 fans; red carpet player introductions; giant American flag unfurling; ceremonial first pitch by Hall of Fame sportswriter Thomas Boswell; plus a flyover, live music, caricature artists, face painters, photo ops and more.

A full list of giveaways and promotions for the 2025 season is available online.

Nationals games are televised by MASN, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. All games air on MASN or MASN2. The network is carried by most cable and satellite providers in the mid-Atlantic region.

The Nationals are scheduled to play an exhibition game at home against the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 p.m., on March 24.

Tickets can be purchased for the exhibition game, the home opener, and the rest of the 2025 season at the Nationals Park box office or the Nationals website. For more ticket information contact 202-675-NATS(6287).

Gore was the San Diego Padres’ first-round pick and the third player chosen overall in the 2017 draft. During the 2024 regular season, he racked up 21 wins and 26 loses with an ERA of 4.20. as a starter for the Nationals.

So far in spring training, Gore has 2 wins and 0 loses, as well as a 0.00 ERA. He was slated as the starting pitcher for Tuesday’s Grapefruit League game against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Following the March 27 home opener, the Nationals will finish the three-game homestand against the Phillies on March 29 and 30, before heading to Toronto for their first away game of the 2025 season on March 31.

It’s been 20 years since Major League Baseball’s Montreal Expos franchise moved to Washington, D.C, returning professional baseball to the nation’s capital after a 45-year absence. The city’s previous MLB franchise, the Washington Senators, relocated to Minnesota in 1960.

“From our first game at RFK, to Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off to open Nationals Park and of course the 2019 World Series, the last 20 years have been filled with so many amazing and memorable moments,” said managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary, the Nationals will have a season-long celebration: NATS20. This will include in-park giveaways, alumni appearances and the Cheers to 20 Years Sweepstakes, which will be the largest sweepstakes the Nats have ever had.