It is a great time of year, baseball returns to DC!
The season started a little late this year due to the contract dispute between the MLB owners and players. It all came together at the last minute and we now get a full season of Washington Nationals baseball.
At the 2022 Washington Nationals Media Day, we learned what’s new and exciting for Nats games this year.
Bring clear bags
You can bring in 16″ x 16″ x 8″ bags, but they must be see-through (clear plastic, vinyl or PVC). Even a Ziploc bag is fine.
Open gates
The security at the entrances has been re-outfitted to be ‘open gates’, meaning you just walk in. Don’t stop, and don’t take anything out of your pockets! If the system finds something it doesn’t like, staff will come over to check. Could make the usual long entry lines disappear.
Nationals Park remains cashless
You’ll still need to download the Ballpark App and select Nationals. Use for your tickets and order your food at your seat and pick it up at the food stand.
Get your Nats gear delivered to your seat
Instead of going to the Nationals Team Stores, you can order stuff from the Nats Ballpark App and they will deliver your sweet new jersey right to you, and you don’t need to miss any baseball!
Renovated FIS Champions Club
For season ticket holders and those that purchase access, the FIS Champions Club has been remodeled and looks like a great spot to get a taste of Nationals history and experience the game. The Commissioner’s Trophy (for winning the 2019 World Series) is still there, but they have expanded the display to show more items (like hats, bases, jerseys, enlarged action scenes) along a continuum of the seven games of the World Series. There are also other trophies (like Silver Slugger Awards) and more DC baseball historical events displayed around the space, with new furniture and nice views both in and out of the park. They will also have a Duke’s Grocery inside and complimentary soda.
Awesome new food vendors
This season you can find a veritable treasure trove of local DC food. They have added Duke’s Grocery (the Proper Burger is fab) in the FIS Champions Club, a Roaming Rooster (get the Honey Butter chicken sandwich) at Section 238, and Hard Times Café returns with their great nachos at Section 105.
Serving local beers
Local beer is back at the District Draft stands. Though every option may not always be available at every stand, it is a great feature that they focus on serving local beers. This year you can find 3 Stars, Atlas Brew Works, DC Brau, Hellbender*, Right Proper, City-State, and Other Half from DC, and Port City, Fair Winds, Solace, Denizens, and Old Ox from around the DMV. They will also offer a new Hazy Beer Hug (IPA) from Goose Island and some lemonade vodka hard seltzers by Nütral.
Remember you have excellent breweries just outside Nats Park, Atlas Brew Works opened their second location on Half Street during the 2021 season, and Virginia’s Solace Brewing just opened their great new Solace Outpost a few months ago to the south across the street.
Serving Pratt Standard Cocktail Co.
Currently based in Mess Hall (in Edgewood), Pratt Standard Cocktail Co. produces signature cocktail syrups and their many cocktail options will be available throughout Nationals Park, including the Cherry Blossom and Cranberry Orange Crush.
Bobbleheads
And now the encore, the greatest of great…there are five bobbles this year, including Star Wars and Marvel themed ones, and a Juan Soto doing an Elvis impression with his hips. They will also have a World Series cooler tote, fanny pack, and a beanie as giveaways.
- Friday, April 8 vs. New York Mets, first 20,000 fans receive a Stephen Strasburg World Series MVP bobblehead presented by 106.7 The Fan FM
- Friday, May 27 vs. Colorado Rockies, first 20,000 fans receive a Juan “Soto Shuffle” bobblehead presented by DELTA
- Saturday, June 11 vs. Milwaukee Brewers, first 10,000 fans receive a MARVEL™ “The Unstoppable” Josh Bell bobblehead
- On Saturday, July 16 vs. Atlanta Braves, first 10,000 fans receive a STAR WARS™ Juan “Solo” bobblehead
- Friday, August 26 vs. Cincinnati Reds, first 10,000 fans receive a DC Comics™ Wonder Woman bobblehead
Enjoy the game!
* We can assume they won’t actually be able to serve Hellbender’s beers for awhile, but hope that changes very soon. For an update on that story, see this DC Beer article.
A DC Journey 