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Today · 4:05 PM ETLineup pendingNL East

New York Mets   vs   Washington Nationals Preview

September 26, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Nationals Park.

4:05 PM ET · Nationals ParkStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score44
New York Mets
73–86 · 5th NL East · T-Score 44
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First pitch 4:05 PM ET
Washington Nationals
75–84 · 4th NL East · T-Score 52
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T-Score52
First pitch 4:05 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherEvenThe starters grade similarly overall, with no clear advantage across P-Score, ERA and WHIP.
Offense vs handNationalsWashington owns a .732 OPS vs RHP, 11th in MLB; New ranks 19th vs RHP.
WeatherModerate impactA 16 mph wind could modestly increase carry on fly balls.

Starting pitchers

NYM
Jonah Tong RHP
Jonah Tong
New York Mets
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
4.21
WHIP
1.32
K/9
8.77
BB/9
4.56
FIP
3.86
HR/9
0.70
OPS/R
0.556
IP
25.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA0.00
Road ERA6.35
Last 5 starts
WSH
Jake Irvin RHP
Jake Irvin
Washington Nationals
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.40
183rd
WHIP
1.37
147th
K/9
9.21
58th
BB/9
4.07
184th
P-Score40i
FIP
5.11
HR/9
1.59
182nd
OPS/R
0.824
IP
101.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA6.58
Road ERA4.76
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Tong owns the lower FIP, 3.86 to 5.11.
·Tong allows the lower home-run rate: 0.70 vs 1.59 per nine.
·Tong carries a 6.35 road ERA, compared with Irvin's 6.58 mark at home.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricTongIrvinNote
ERA−83129Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.865.11
WAR0.30.5Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Tong arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam44%95.3
Changeup28%87.2
Cutter20%91.2
Curveball7%79.7
Irvin arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam31%93.2
Curveball23%77.7
Sinker19%92.1
Cutter11%89.4
Sweeper9%82.1
Changeup8%85.9

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Mets vs RHP (Jake Irvin)
19th
in MLB
0.713OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Nationals vs RHP (Jonah Tong)
11th
in MLB
0.732OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsNYMNYM·WSHWSH
+20820th
Run differential
+3195th
73–86 Record75–84
Last 10 games
New York Mets (0–0)
Washington Nationals (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Mets?+
Jonah Tong is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Nationals?+
Jake Irvin is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
4:05 PM ET at Nationals Park.
Where is the game being played?+
Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
P-Score is available for one starter only.