The Nationals shook up their front office on Sunday, firing manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo amid a 37-53 season. Martinez and Rizzo brought Washington a World Series title in 2019, but they’ve struggled in recent years to match their success.
Rizzo, specifically, had been the Nationals’ general manager since 2009 and with the organization since 2007. Owner Mark Lerner decided that the organization needed a change, especially as Washington holds the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
In Rizzo’s place, the Nationals named Mike DeBartolo as the interim general manager. While DeBartolo is only in charge in an interim capacity, he is tasked with making an important decision while holding the No. 1 pick.
Here’s who will be making the first pick of the draft for the Nationals.
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Who is Mike DeBartolo?
Mike DeBartolo is a baseball executive who has been with the Nationals since 2012. He started out as an intern, then worked his way up to become the assistant general manager over the past few years.
During his time with Washington, DeBartolo held positions including Baseball Operations Assistant, Manager of Baseball Research and Development, and Director of Baseball Operations. He was named Assistant General Manager in 2019 and has also served as both Vice President and Senior Vice President since then.
DeBartolo has a background in analytics, as he worked for Cambridge Associates before joining the Nationals.
“Mike DeBartolo is a smart and thoughtful executive, and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our organization,” Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “As we hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft and look ahead to the trade deadline, we are confident in his ability to lead the baseball operations staff through these next, important months.”
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Who will the Nationals draft No.1?
The Nationals have many options to choose from when it comes to who they will take with the No. 1 overall pick.
One of the most frequent names connected with the Nationals has been Ethan Holliday, the son of Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday. Like his brother, Ethan will make the jump from high school to join an MLB franchise, and he may go first in the draft like Jackson did with the Orioles in 2022.
If Washington doesn’t take Holliday, they could also go with a college pitcher. LSU’s Kade Anderson, FSU’s Jamie Arnold and Tennessee’s Liam Doyle are all expected to go high on Sunday.
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Nationals No. 1 pick history
The Nationals have only held the No. 1 pick twice in their franchise history, even dating back to when they were the Expos. However, both of those picks were extremely successful.
In 2009 and 2010, Washington held back-to-back first overall picks that would change the franchise. In 2009, the Nationals took Stephen Strasburg out of San Diego State, and in 2010, they took Bryce Harper out of high school. Both players would become franchise players, and Strasburg played a key role in the team’s first World Series title in 2019.
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