Following the latest loss from the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon that saw the club fall to 10 games below .500 with their 7th straight loss, the team seemingly hit rock bottom. The Nationals are now just 2-10 in the month of June, and are staring down the barrel of being swept for the second straight series at the hands of an NL East division rival.
But perhaps what made it even worse for the club was the comments made by Davey Martinez, which have already begun making waves across social media. Martinez has managed the Nationals since 2018, and as everyone knows, led the club to their first World Series title in team history following a 19-31 start in 2019.
Things have been pretty downhill since then, as the Nationals have become perennial basement-dwellers with Martinez at the helm, and it appears as if his comments have serious potential to strike a nerve with players, as they have already started to do with the fanbase.
When asked by Spencer Nusbaum of the Washington Post about how much of the team's latest struggles could be put on the players versus the coaches, Martinez chose not to answer in his typical fashion, and eviscerated his team. Typically, Martinez is great at giving the same cheesy one-liners following difficult losses, but his decision to speak his mind on Saturday afternoon could cost him his job.
So for anyone who missed it, this is what Davey Martinez had to say following the Nationals’ 7th consecutive loss.
— Bennett Lehmann (@DCBerk) June 14, 2025
Interpret this how you will…🤨#Natitude pic.twitter.com/UZPjqUDARx
When I initially heard Davey's comments, I can not exaggerate that my jaw legitimately dropped. It is really one of the first times I can ever remember him speaking so negatively about his team, and his decision to defend his coaching staff over the players he coaches is certainly a questionable one. As calls for answers with guys like Martinez, Darnell Coles, and others continue to grow louder, comments like these certainly will not help their case.
Given that the Nationals have so many young players, none of whom were on that 2019 World Series team that seems to have given Martinez a ton of grace within the organization despite the team consistently being among the league's worst, I can't imagine this is the type of comments that will make players want to give their all for their manager.
Below is the transcript from Nusbaum, who was able to get the full answer from Martinez as he answered his question.
Full Q & A from Nationals Manager Dave Martinez on where the blame lies for the offensive swoon. "It's never on coaching. It's never on coaching. Coaches work their asses off every single day." pic.twitter.com/yNH9u1Q30h
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) June 14, 2025
Fans like myself have been very critical of Martinez this season for his perceived lack of passion and fire compared to what he used to show, most notably after there were whispers from the clubhouse that veteran players were not happy with Martinez refusing to stand up for them after questionable strike calls. This feels like a final straw, and I don't really know how he can be defended at this point.
The team's reluctance to replace Martinez and his staff combined with the front office's unwillingness to spend has already cost the team multiple years of control on guys like MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams, and the team is wasting an incredible, MVP-caliber season from James Wood in 2025. This is easily the most talented team that Martinez has had since the rebuild began, yet the team still struggles with the same issues that they have for years, particularly with baserunning, plate discipline, and finding overall consistency.
I will have more to come with regard to how long Davey's leash should be moving forward, but these latest comments are absolutely indefensible, and legitimately a fireable offense considering the performance of the team.
What do you think of Davey's comments following today's loss? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.