Nats pack the lockers: 77–85, best since 2019, page flips to winter

Locker cleanout after Game 162

The Washington Nationals finished 2026 on Sunday, Sep. 27 with a 6–4 win over the visiting New York Mets at Nationals Park. Players packed gear and tipped clubhouse staff as boxes lined the lockers — the standard close to a 162-game year.

Locked facts

• Final — Nats 6, Mets 4 (season finale)
• Record — 77–85 (missed the postseason)
• Trend — 11 wins better than 2025; best full-season mark since the 2019 championship year
• Front office — Paul Toboni enters his first full offseason as president of baseball operations

Public clubhouse notes described a familiar cleanout rhythm: envelopes for attendants, gear shipping home, and players already talking about the work between now and spring.

Sport DMV read

This was a step-forward season that still ended without October baseball. The DMV’s next Nats stories are calendar and roster — not tip times — until pitchers and catchers report.

The Nationals page is the hub.

*Thursday desk, Oct. 1, 2026. Season close from Washington Post and The Banner.*