We’re at the point in the MLB regular season where it feels like every game is either the most important game of a team’s year, or is absolutely pointless with virtually no stakes at all. With apologies to Rockies and Nationals fans, this contest falls squarely into that second bucket.
Still, it’s not often we see Colorado win a series on the road. Can the Rockies win their third in a row on Thursday afternoon? Let’s dive in and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rockies vs. Nationals prediction, preview
Gabriel Hughes will make his ninth-career MLB start today. Formerly the 10th-overall pick in the 2022 draft, a much less heralded class than the star-studded ’23 and ’24 drafts, Hughes worked his way to the Rockies’ 26-man roster with stops at every level of the minor league system. On the surface, his time with Colorado has been bleak, as Hughes sports a gnarly 6.54 ERA over 42.2 innings of work. However, if you dig deeper, there’s actually a lot to like about the right-hander. Hughes has been destroyed by a hilariously low 53.3% strand rate, which is why his 3.46 xERA and 3.86 FIP are far more palatable. He’s also done a fabulous job of suppressing loud contact, as evidenced by a 94th percentile opponent hard hit rate (30.1%) and a 91st percentile opponent barrel rate (4.5%). At some point, the rookie is going to catch a break.
Well… Maybe that break is simply pitching against this version of the Nationals? Washington has been the worst offense in a baseball over the past two weeks, ranking dead-last in batting average (.202), wOBA (.270) and wRC+ (65). This is a team that is very clearly missing it’s star in James Wood (oblique). The fact that the front office traded away Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead isn’t helping matters much, either.
Remember, there was a point earlier in 2026 where Washington was leading baseball in both runs scored and runs allowed. The lineup was what was keeping the club hovering around .500. Without consistent run production, this is a really poor roster with a very poor pitching staff. Look no further than Jake Irvin. Last year, Irvin threw 180.0 innings for the Nationals. That’s about the only positive I can muster, as the RHP’s other claims to fame were conceding the most home runs of any pitcher in MLB (38) and possessing the league’s highest qualified ERA (5.70). This season hasn’t gone much better. Not only has injury kept Irvin from eating the same volume of innings, but the 29-year-old owns a 5.82 ERA and a 5.37 xERA. Woof.
Rockies vs. Nationals pick, best bet
Best Bet: Rockies ML (+126)
The Nationals rank dead-last in batting average (.202), wOBA (.270) and wRC+ (65) across the past two weeks. Jake Irvin’s 5.74 ERA since the beginning of 2025 is the highest mark of any pitcher with at least 250 innings thrown in that span. I know Washington is playing the Rockies today, but how is this club favored?
