It all begins anew again for the Washington Nationals on Thursday, and for the first time, they've got their phenom on the hill to get it started.

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The Nationals begin their eighth season in D.C. on Thursday as they visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and they'll throw Stephen Strasburg right out to start game #1 of 162 this season.

Washington is looking to build off of their best finish since moving to the District after the 2004 season. A third-place finish in the ultra-competitive National League East in 2011 and a revamped pitching staff has the club and its fans looking toward being competitive well into September.

"It's not a time of building anymore," second baseman Danny Espinosa told the Associated Press. "This is too good of a team. There's too much talent here to lose."

Strasburg goes up against Cubs ace Ryan Dempster on Thursday. The Cubs also underwent a major overhaul during the offseason, starting at the top; the team lured Boston Red Sox executive Theo Epstein to the Windy City to help the club win its first World Series title since 1908.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:20 p.m.