The Washington Nationals need to look a lot different next season than the way they looked in the 2025 season. Almost everything that could go wrong at all levels ended up happening, as many touted young players either regressed or failed to take the next step in their development, and injuries ran their course throughout the organization.
From top prospects Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana, who both underwent surgical operations, to 2024 1st-rounder Seaver King looking lost at the plate at times among others, the organization has a ton of room for improvement. The new President of Baseball Operations for the Nationals, Paul Toboni, certainly has a ton of work to do, and his next major decision is who is going to manage his club next season.
I am working on another post for tomorrow discussing everyone who has interviewed for the Nationals' opening already, but for now we will just focus on one specific name who ended up going to a familiar foe. Fresh off another postseason appearance and shocking division win, the Cleveland Guardians just suffered a huge loss to their coaching staff.
Craig Albernaz, the Guardians' bench coach who had become a highly-touted name in managerial talks as an up-and-comer, has accepted the job to become the next manager of the Baltimore Orioles. So how is this relevant to the Nationals? Well, it had been reported over the weekend that Albernaz had interviewed for the opening with the Nationals, but obviously he has chosen to go in another direction.
In many ways, Albernaz represents everything that Toboni and his new front office should be looking for, as he is a young coach who is very well-respected around the league and has also been known for his ability to create genuine relationships with his young players. The Nationals could use a little bit of that, combined with the knowledge of the game as a former backstop and someone who has been part of multiple winning organizations as a coach such as the Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, and San Francisco Giants.
However, Albernaz will be nearby up in Baltimore now, and the Nationals will have to continue to expand their search. It will be very interesting to see what route Toboni chooses to go in picking his first manager for the Nationals, and this hire has the potential to be the guy who gets a ton of credit for helping turn the ship around for 2026 and beyond.
What do you think of the Nationals' manager search? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.