Pittsburgh Pirates vs Washington Nationals Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 4/15/26, 3:04 PM  by Edgar Jibran | Modified on 4/15/26 at 11:32 PM in MLB Picks

Next Wednesday will bring the third game in the MLB series between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, teams from the National League that have delivered excellent batting averages at the beginning of the season. However, it’s undeniable that pitching will have the biggest impact on these teams’ performance during the regular season.

Taking these factors into account, it’s a fact that the Pittsburgh Pirates have proven to deliver their best performances when Paul Skenes is the opening pitcher, as it was confirmed with their 16-5 victory in the first game of the series against the Nationals. Nevertheless, the Pirates are expected to struggle in avoiding runs during the first innings, as it is very unlikely that Skenes will be available for the next two games.

Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals have clearly increased their effectiveness during their most recent games, but it’s a fact that having Jake Irvin as the opening pitcher for this game isn’t expected to be good news for them. In this regard, it’s worth noting that Irvin hasn’t established a positive record in any of his previous seasons, and this season he has conceded 11 runs in three games.