This morning, Spencer Nusbaum broke the news that the Nationals will be retaining their entire coaching staff. After an 11 game improvement from 2025, this is not much of a surprise, but I wanted to break things down. The hitting coaches enter 2027 under no pressure after an exceptional offensive season. However, the pitching coaches need to show results.
In my opinion, the pitching coaches are the more interesting talking point here, so I will start with them. The pitching braintrust consists of assistants Dustin Glant and Sean Doolittle, as well as the main man Simon Mathews. Doolittle was the only one who was in the organization before 2026.
This season was a mixed bag for them. The surface level stats were not pretty, with the Nats 4.67 team ERA ranking 5th worst in baseball. Infamously, the Nats bullpen set the all time blown saves record in 2026 as well. While the offense took a massive step forward, progress for the pitching staff was slower.
However, there was some progress that took place. The Nats team ERA went from 5.35 in 2025 to 4.67 in 2026. This took place without a massive leap in team talent as well. Even the bullpen, which set the wrong types of records, had a lower ERA in 2026 than 2025.
There were also a few pitchers who took major strides, most notably Cade Cavalli. The Nats right hander was a popular breakout pick due to his stuff, but he still exceeded all expectations. He posted a 3.02 ERA with 200 strikeouts in 169.2 innings. The sweeper that the pitching coaches taught him played a large role in that success.
Getting the best out of Cavalli is a big feather in the cap for Simon Mathews and company. It shows that they can have success when the requisite talent is at their disposal. However, 2027 will be a big prove it year for the pitching coaches.
With Cavalli, Connelly Early and Andrew Alvarez in the rotation, the talent is beginning to come together. Now, Simon Mathews will need to prove that he is the right guy to get the most out of these arms. He enters next season with a little bit of a target on his back. If the pitching improves, that target will go away though.
While there are some questions on the pitching side, the Nats hitting coaches are riding high. The Nats offense blew past expectations this season, finishing as a top 5 unit in most metrics. Matt Borgschulte, along with his assistants, Andrew Aydt and Shawn O’Malley did a remarkable job in 2026. I wrote about what made this Nats offense special, and the coaching staff played a big role in creating this offensive monster.
So many Nats hitters made huge improvements, and did so in tangible ways. Keibert Ruiz became an air pull machine, while Jacob Young elevated the ball more to get to another level. Stars like James Wood and CJ Abrams were also better than ever. There is really nothing to complain about here.
Another coach who I want to shout out is Bobby Wilson. The Nats catching coach helped turn Keibert Ruiz from arguably the worst defensive catcher in baseball to an above average backstop. Whenever I was at the ballpark, I saw Wilson working with the catchers on the finer details.
Overall, I have zero issues with running back this staff. The pitching coaches will have some pressure on them, but they earned a shot at working with more talented arms. At the end of the Davey Martinez era, the coaching staff was a massive issue. However, I have plenty of confidence in Blake Butera’s staff entering their second season.
