The hottest hitter to start the 2026 MLB season has come out of nowhere.
Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Wiemer reached base on each of his first 12 plate appearances. He went 3-for-3 on Opening Day with a home run and a walk, and followed that up with the same statline on Sunday, helping the Nationals to two wins over the Chicago Cubs. He continued that hot start on Monday, when he went 2-for-4 with a run in Washington’s 13-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Wiemer has batted all around the lineup, hitting fifth on Opening Day and on Sunday, and batting ninth on Monday. He’s made the most of his opportunity as Wiemer wasn’t expected to be on Washington’s major league roster to start the season.
Wiemer tied a major-league record by reaching base in 10 straight at-bats to start the season. The previous player to do so was former first baseman Carlos Delgado, who did it in 2002.
A former fourth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020, Wiemer struggled to start his career. During his rookie season in 2023, he slashed .204/.283/.362 for the Brewers with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs across 410 plate appearances. Then, during his second MLB season, Milwaukee optioned him back down to Triple-A before trading him to the Cincinnati Reds for starter Frankie Montas, who kept him in the minors after the move.
Following the 2024 season, Wiemer was moved in another trade — to the Kansas City Royals, but he was waived and didn’t appear in a single game for the organization. The Miami Marlins picked up his contract, where he had a .236 batting average over 61 plate appearances. The same saga ensued — the Marlins moved on from Weimer, trading him to the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations, but he never appeared in a game.
So, he moved onto his sixth team in four seasons, as the Nationals picked up his contract before this season, and he found himself in a battle for an outfield spot with Washington’s top prospect, Dylan Crews. But Crews struggled in Spring Training, hitting .103 in 29 at-bats, and Weimer won the battle for an outfield position.
He’s since capitalized on that opportunity.
