Nationals vs Reds Picks and Prediction – 3/28/2024

The Washington Nationals are heading to Great American Ballpark on Thursday, where they will kick off their season against the Cincinnati Reds. Get the rest of our free MLB picks here! Washington finished last in the NL East last season, putting together a record of 71-91. The Nationals had the second overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, where they would select LSU outfielder Dylan Crews.

Josiah Gray is set to be Washington’s starting pitcher on Thursday, last season he posted a 3.9 1 ERA to go along with an 8-13 record. Washington ranked 27th last season with just 151 home runs, while posting a team ERA of 5.02 (27th in MLB). Lane Thomas led the Nationals with 28 home runs and and 168 hits last year.

After defeating the Colorado Rockies 6-2, the Reds would suffer a 10-7 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in their final spring training game. Hunter Greene allowed 2 hits and 1 run through 3 innings on the mound in this game, while Mat Nelson, Spencer Steer, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand each connected on a home run.

Frankie Montas will be Cincinnati’s starting pitcher in this game, he played just one game for the Yankees last season before undergoing surgery on his shoulder. The Reds finished with an 82-80 record last year, placing them third in the NL Central. The Reds were a solid team that showed promise at the plate last year however, their bullpen struggled vitally.