Nationals To Hire David Besky As Pitching Strategist

The Nationals are expected to hire David Besky as pitching strategist, per Kyle Williams of the Baltimore Banner. Besky most recently served as the director of baseball sciences for the Red Sox. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com had previously reported that Besky was no longer with the team and was headed for a new gig.

It’s unclear whether Besky will be replacing anyone on the Nationals coaching staff. Given the report last week that manager Blake Butera’s crew was expected to return in 2027, it seems like this is a new addition, not a replacement. Washington didn’t have anyone with the pitching strategist title last season, but Sean Doolittle held the position in 2024 and 2025. He was promoted to assistant pitching coach this past year.

Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic added this morning that Besky will be involved with pitch calling and arsenal analysis, among other duties. He’s been with the Red Sox for the past three seasons. Besky was originally hired as a player development coordinator. He took over as director of baseball sciences heading into the 2025 season. He overlapped with Nats president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, who was an assistant GM in Boston during Besky’s tenure. Before landing a job with the Red Sox, Besky spent three years as a data scientist at Driveline Baseball.

The Nationals ushered in a youth movement in their leadership positions last season, hiring 35-year-old Toboni as POBO and 33-year-old Butera as first-time manager. The team tabbed 30-year-old Simon Mathews as pitching coach. Doolittle and Dustin Glant rounded out the pitching portion of the coaching staff. Doolittle, the former Nats closer, was a holdover from ex-skipper Davey Martinez’s staff.

Washington saw right-hander Cade Cavalli take a big step forward in 2026. Cavalli emerged as the ace and earned a four-year extension before the end of the season. Lefty Andrew Alvarez graduated from minor league depth starter to a back-end rotation option. By the end of the year, he was one of Butera’s lone trustworthy starters. Connelly Early only made one start after coming over in the trade that sent Curtis Mead to Boston. He should have a spot on the staff in 2027, assuming he’s healthy.

The final two rotation spots are up for grabs. The team has plenty of options to choose from, though securing a stable arm through free agency is a possibility. Washington will almost certainly look to the free agent market to bolster a historically bad bullpen.