Nationals' 2019 spring training schedule released

There are 4 1/2 weeks to go in the 2018 regular season, not to mention a month's worth of postseason games for those franchises fortunate enough to advance, but Major League Baseball has already unveiled the entire 2019 schedule, including spring training now.

MLB released the Grapefruit League and Cactus League schedules this afternoon, far earlier than has been typical in previous years. It's perhaps appropriate, then, that the spring schedule will start and conclude early as well.

With opening day set to take place on its earliest date ever (March 28, 2019), the exhibition season will open on Feb. 23, when the Nationals host the Astros at their shared complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.

That's the first of 30 Grapefruit League games the Nats will play next spring, all but four of those to be played within a 45-minute drive of their home base.

The Nationals will make two 2 1/2-hour trips to Lake Buena Vista (Feb. 25, March 19) to face the Braves in their final season training at Walt Disney World before moving next year to Sarasota County. They'll also make two 2 1/2-hour drives across the state to Fort Myers to face the Red Sox (Feb. 28) and Twins (March 14).

Otherwise, every game on the slate will be played either in West Palm Beach, Jupiter (home of the Cardinals and Marlins) or Port St. Lucie (Mets).

The 15-game home schedule includes games against the Red Sox (March 3), Braves (March 13), Cardinals (Feb. 26, March 16, 21, 23), Twins (March 2), Mets (March 7, 17) and Marlins (March 9, 18).

The Nationals and Astros meet six times, with the Nats serving as the home team in four of those games (Feb. 23 and 27, March 5 and 12) and as the road team for the other two (March 10, 24).

After departing Florida following split-squad games March 24, the Nationals return home and will face the Yankees in a March 25 exhibition game at Nationals Park.

The regular season opens March 28 at home against the Mets.