Blake Butera was officially introduced as the new manager of the Washington Nationals on Monday at Nationals Park. The 33-year-old becomes the youngest Major League manager since 1972, joining the franchise fresh off becoming a father. He has assembled an initial coaching staff including bench coach Michael Johns and pitching coach Simon Mathews.
Blake Butera, 33, sat at the dais in Nationals Park's press conference room, surrounded by family including his two-week-old daughter Blair Margaux Butera, born on October 30. Butera and his wife, Caroline Margolis, traveled from Raleigh, N.C., to Washington, D.C., for the event, with help from his in-laws. "I got offered the job before [her birth], signed the contract after," Butera said. "So, dad first."
Butera's rapid rise includes a decade with the Tampa Bay Rays organization. A 35th-round draft pick out of Boston College, he played parts of two seasons in their farm system before transitioning to coaching. In 2018, at age 25, he became the youngest manager in Minor League Baseball with Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley. He earned Carolina League Manager of the Year honors in 2021 and 2022 while leading Single-A Charleston. Most recently, he served as Tampa Bay's senior director of player development, promoted in October 2023.
He is the eighth manager in Nationals history since 2005 and the first hire since Dave Martinez in October 2017, who was fired in July alongside general manager Mike Rizzo. Butera emphasized authenticity in his new role: "The best advice I’ve gotten is just to be yourself." He added, "I feel pretty prepared based off a lot of previous experiences."
President of baseball operations Paul Toboni praised the hire: "We wanted someone whose character and values aligned with ours... Blake’s character and ability to connect with everyone across the baseball spectrum is second to none."
Butera has named Michael Johns, 50, from the Rays, as bench coach and Simon Mathews, 30, formerly with the Reds, as pitching coach. Former World Series champion Sean Doolittle, 39, will return to the staff with a title to be determined. Butera noted pitchers' strong praise for Doolittle: "What stood out right away was... every time, unsolicited they brought up Sean and just how impactful he’s been."
Toboni highlighted Doolittle's relationship with Mathews, forged at Push Performance. Despite the 2025 pitching staff's 5.35 ERA—its worst in history—Doolittle's retention aligns with the organization's focus on relationships and development.
