Does Firing Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo Change Nationals' Draft Plans?

The Washington Nationals made huge waves in the baseball world over the weekend when they announced that manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo had both been fired.

It is the end of an era for the Nationals.

Martinez had been in his position with the franchise since 2018, leading the team to a World Series in 2019. Rizzo had been with the front office since 2006, being hired as an assistant general manager before being promoted in 2009 to general manager and president of baseball operations in 2013.

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It will be interesting to see how much these changes impact the team’s performance on the field as they have been mired in a rebuild since winning the championship.

After taking home the title, the team started moving on from key contributors, allowing them to leave in free agency or trading away some of their star players.

That has led to an impressive young core being put together at the Major League level, headlined by left fielder James Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams and starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who were all acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster.

Another high-upside youngster will be added to the mix in a few weeks since Washington owns the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft.

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Which direction will the team head in now that a regime change has occurred?

It is the one big question for the Nationals heading into the draft, as shared by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.

With their choices seemingly narrowed down to prep shortstop Ethan Holliday and LSU pitcher Kade Anderson, their selection will tell a lot about how close the franchise believes they are to being a playoff contender.

“Last year's draft was the first with a new scouting group in place. The Nats picked No. 10 overall, at the tail end of the top tier of talent, and opted to go underslot with a safer pick in SS Seaver King. They applied those savings to a riskier pick in prep SS Luke Dickerson, who has been a home run so far, already becoming a top 100 prospect,” wrote McDaniel.

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Holliday will take a few years to reach the big leagues, but Anderson could be in the mix for a roster spot in 2026, similar to the last No. 1 overall pick from LSU; Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Anderson isn’t as highly regarded as the top pitching prospects from last year -- like Chase Burns, who has already made his Major League debut with the Cincinnati Reds. Some analysts believe Hagen Smith, who was selected No. 5 by the Chicago White Sox, would also rank ahead of Anderson.

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What it will ultimately come down to is whether Washington wants a player who can contribute more immediately at the Major League level or not.

And at No. 1 overall, they are going to dictate a lot of what happens next.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.