The 2025 season for the Washington Nationals simply can't end soon enough. After an offseason that saw the team invest over $50 million into mostly terrible assets, the organization decided to clean house in July in an effort to save the team's failing rebuild.
Despite making one of the most infamous trades in baseball history back in the summer of 2022, the Nationals have yet to make any significant progress in their rebuild that was originally diagnosed as a "retool" by former General Manager Mike Rizzo, and the team is now paying for their lack of vision.
Rizzo was fired along with Manager Davey Martinez for numerous reasons, but perhaps none being more significant than their declaration that the rebuild was over in Spring Training before this season. The mantra of "Go 1-0 today" fully ran its course as Martinez disgustingly threw his team under the bus in the midst of an abysmal losing streak earlier this season.
However, while all of those mistakes by the men in charge took place in the public eye, perhaps the biggest issue of this organization over the last few years has been their failure to adapt the franchise and modernize the approach to certain aspects, specifically on the player development side of things.
Between failing to develop top draft picks at a high level for the better part of the last decade, especially with high-risk options they opted to draft like Mason Denaburg, Seth Romero, Elijah Green, and even Dylan Crews, among others, the organization has failed too many top talents to offset their lack of spending from ownership.
The lack of spending is a whole other issue, as the Lerner family is not immune to any blame under any circumstances, but it's clear that the lack of player development has been what's held this team back the most. It's become obvious to many fans who have paid enough attention that the organization has not prioritized internal growth and support of their players, and it is a huge reason why this team is not further along than where they should be right now.
Whether it was the team being late to adapt to the craze of 'torpedo bats' or the fact that Rizzo had not invested in VR training headsets for the team, or even the fact that Rizzo was reportedly unwilling to budge off his old school approach to scouting when it came to the MLB Draft, Rizzo was guilty of more than his fair share of blame for the team's failures.
Evidently, some players have felt the same, and 2025 All-Star lefty MacKenzie Gore, who has endured the struggles of the organization for parts of 3 big league seasons, said the quiet part out loud about the team's lack of player development. As someone who has seen what winning organizations do, such as his original team in the San Diego Padres, Gore knows what he's talking about, and knows exactly what the Nationals aren't doing to set themselves up for long-term success.
Gore, who appeared on 106.7 The Fan on Wednesday, had some choice words about the state of the organization. He kicked off his eye-popping answer by saying, "Everything starts at the top. So I think that's very important going into the offseason. I'm sure they're going to hire whoever they think the best fit is." when asked about the team's plans to hire new members of the front office.
MacKenzie Gore thinks that getting the most out of the Nats' young core players will start from the front office. pic.twitter.com/h7CSn7Ey1w
— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) September 17, 2025
He then went on to say, "As a player, I just want to get the most out of everybody in the clubhouse, and I think that starts from the front office, and I think that's something we haven't necessarily done the past few years..." which aligns with everything that fans have speculated about since the firings of the previous men in charge.
His words weren't all negative, as while he did admit to frustrations over the last few years and the fact that the team hasn't won enough, he was quick to point to some of the great young talent the team has at the big league level including James Wood, CJ Abrams, Crews, and Daylen Lile, among others. Gore added, "...we've got some guys that can play, and we just want to get the most out of this group. I think that's what the best teams do. No matter how much the player is making, they get the most out of that player, and I think that's something we have to figure out how to do."
Gore's comments to me are a genuinely refreshing breath of fresh air, as the organization now has one of their star players openly voicing his frustrations about the state of the team, and his desire to make the best of their situation. When watching this Nationals team play each night, it's extremely easy to see that they have some very legitimate talent that can absolutely make them contenders, but there is a long way to go before they achieve their winning ways of the 2010s again.
The Nationals might be the most poorly coached team in the league, and whether it's their lack of any sort of consistent approach at the plate, turning their best players in Abrams, Crews, Wood, and youngsters Brady House and Luis Garcia Jr. into free swingers with no plan at the plate, or their constant struggles defensively and on the basepaths, it's clear to see that the team is falling into some bad habits that must be coached out of them before it's too late.
Hopefully, whoever the Nationals decide to bring in on the front office side is able to implement a new plan for player development, as the team needs to ensure that their biggest pieces of the future, such as #1 pick Eli Willits, are successful players who can formulate the future of this franchise. Hopefully the next coaching staff can help Wood regain his previous form and Gore can put it all together for a full season, but it's abundantly clear that Gore is 100% correct in his words, and I really hope it doesn't fall upon deaf ears at the top.
Coming up this offseason, the Nationals will face arguably the most pivotal decision they have had to make in a very long time with regard to their front office, and there is a slew of candidates who are currently in the interview process. Hopefully, the ownership group will nail this decision, as the person they choose to hand over the reigns to will clearly have his work cut out for him. With any luck, the team will be able to poach a qualified candidate from a winning organization like the Dodgers, Yankees, or even the Rays, but no matter what the team will absolutely have to ensure that the person they bring on is in lockstep with ownership about maximizing the talent within the organization.
Ownership has to do their part as well, hopefully by making some smart free agent additions that can help speed up the timeline of this rebuild, as the organization still seems as if they are multiple years away from competing. The bottom line is, this franchise needs a total reset, but having your star players like Gore say the quiet part out loud about what's going on behind the scenes, or lackthereof, is a crucial first step towards ensuring a return to contention.
What did you think of MacKenzie Gore's comments? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.