CHICAGO — Joey Wiemer swung at a splitter at his ankles in the first inning and golfed it into the air. Shota Imanaga — the pitcher who threw it — looked away in disgust.

How was it possible that Wiemer, known for his defensive versatility more than his offensive prowess, had launched his second home run of the season on a pitch that nearly scraped the dirt?

How was it possible that Wiemer, designated for assignment three times in the last calendar year, was the reason the Nationals earned a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field?

When he touched home after his three-run blast, he jokingly pushed his teammates before hustling into the dugout. Through two games, Wiemer is 6-for-6 with two home runs, a triple and a pair of walks. His offensive efforts secured Washington’s first opening series win since 2018.

“I’m not trying to do too much,” Wiemer said. “Just sticking with what’s working and keep swinging.”

Wiemer is the first player in franchise history to reach base in his first eight career plate appearances with the club. That’s also tied for the most consecutive plate appearances reaching base to begin a tenure dating to 1961.

If there’s a secret to his success, Wiemer — a man of few words — hasn’t revealed it. He’s just swung hard. Good results have followed.

“It’s been phenomenal,” pitcher Jake Irvin said. “We talked about starting fast, and Joey’s been a catalyst.”

Irvin allowed a pair of fourth-inning home runs but avoided other trouble for five innings. Keibert Ruiz added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, then launched a two-run homer in the eighth inning as insurance.

Alex Bregman hit two homers, but the Nationals limited the Cubs to four hits. Wiemer, meanwhile, had four hits himself and a series that will be remembered in the history books.

“He’s capitalizing on all these opportunities,” manager Blake Butera said. “He plays great defense, and what he’s doing at the plate right now is pretty remarkable.”

“The MVP,” Ruiz said.

The beginning to Wiemer’s tenure with the Nationals would’ve been unthinkable early in the offseason. The 27-year-old outfielder has been discarded by the Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants since July.

The Nationals claimed him off waivers in January. His path to a roster spot, though, was murky. The Nationals entered spring training with five outfielders who ended the year on the major league roster (Dylan Crews, Robert Hassell III, Daylen Lile, James Wood and Jacob Young).

Lile and Wood were arguably the team’s best hitters. Young has 20 outs above average since he debuted in 2023, third best among outfielders in the majors during that stretch. Crews and Hassell were seen as promising prospects who were rushed to the majors but still had untapped potential.

Still, the Nationals saw value in Wiemer as a defensive replacement who could play all positions. They wanted Crews and Hassell to develop. So they opened the year with four outfielders, including Wiemer. He’s provided more than just defense.

“We have 26 guys on the roster. All 26 are going to get used,” Butera said. “They’re all going to be used in pretty big spots, but it’s nice to have a 26 we feel really good about. And then the ones at Triple-A and Double-A right behind them that are also becoming better and better each day. We seem to keep bringing in some talented players that help us win.”

Before opening day, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said his goal when constructing the roster now and in the future is to raise the floor of the major league roster.

On Saturday, the Nationals acquired infielder Curtis Mead from the Chicago White Sox for catcher Boston Smith. They optioned Andres Chaparro to Triple-A Rochester after Sunday’s game to clear space for Mead.

They’ll continue to add depth. And if the Nationals’ fringe starters such as Irvin, Ruiz and Wiemer perform the way they did Sunday, the team’s floor will only get higher.

The law of averages says Wiemer’s sky-high slugging percentage — 3.333 — won’t remain that high. Wiemer has struggled in years prior with his chase percentage. The Nationals, though, have preached plate discipline this spring. If Wiemer can improve in that area, the Nationals could have a valuable addition to their outfield.

A jump from Irvin would help too after a season the 29-year-old would like to forget. Irvin led the majors in home runs allowed in 2025 and had the highest ERA among qualified starting pitchers.

During the offseason, Irvin altered his delivery and attempted to regain his velocity after he couldn’t sustain it last year. On Sunday, Irvin’s average fastball velocity was 93.6 mph; last season, it was 92.4.

Irvin effectively mixed six pitches, and the Cubs didn’t have many answers. He stayed ahead in counts and finished with seven strikeouts. And the early lead from Wiemer didn’t hurt.

“Going out there, making pitches and keeping the boys in it, that’s all that mattered,” Irvin said. “And starting with a 3-0 lead helps that a lot.”

This article has been updated.