Pressure Is on Washington Nationals Front Office To Set Franchise Up for Future

The Washington Nationals have experienced the highest of highs with general manager Mike Rizzo leading the front office.

He took over in 2009 when the franchise was at a low point. Their inception was in 2005, after 36 years as the Montreal Expos and they were in the midst of finishing in last place in their division for the third straight season and sixth time out of seven.

The only positive to come out of all of that losing was that they were selecting near the top of the MLB Draft. Twice, they landed the No. 1 overall pick: in 2009 and 2010.

They came away with franchise cornerstones, starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg and outfielder Bryce Harper, to jump-start their rebuild and get the franchise on track.

By 2012, the team was back in the postseason for the first time as the Nationals. It was their first postseason appearance since 1981, so it had been a long time coming.

A postseason berth was achieved again in 2014, 2016 and 2017, but the team failed to advance beyond the NLDS. That was until 2019, when they broke through for a World Series title.

Unfortunately for the franchise, what has ensued since that championship is a whole lot of losing.

Washington traded away several major contributors who had multiple years of team control remaining to maximize returns. Stars hit free agency and signed mega deals elsewhere, leaving the team without much talent to win on the field.

Things are beginning to turn in that regard as a strong nucleus is forming as the foundation of the franchise.

Left fielder James Wood is a star in the making. Shortstop CJ Abrams has already been an All-Star once. Pitchers MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker have immense upside to anchor the staff.

The work Rizzo and his staff have done to rebuild the organizational depth has been impressive. It is part of the reason why they received a vote as one of the best front offices in baseball in a piece shared by Tyler Kepner of The Athletic (subscription required).

Their job is far from done, as they have yet to reach even being playoff contenders. But, they are on the right path and the opportunity to add another franchise cornerstone will be presented to them in a few months during the 2025 MLB Draft, which the Nationals own the No. 1 pick in.

“The Nats hold the first pick in the draft this summer, and Rizzo – long known for his sharp scouting eye – has to score big,” wrote Kepner.

Adding another impact talent, whether it be a positional player or a pitcher, would further help lay the foundation for what Rizzo and the front office hope is a successful era of baseball in Washington.