Nationals Skipper Could Find Himself in Manager of the Year Conversations
In this story:
The Washington Nationals entered June with a winning record.
They were outstanding in the month of May with a 16-12 record, which were the most wins they've had in a single month since 2023. And, entering play on Tuesday, their offense was still the most potent in all of baseball with 327 runs scored.
It's been a remarkable start to the season for the Nationals, as they were expected to be one of the worst teams in the MLB this year. And much of the credit has to be given to manager Blake Butera and his coaching staff for them not being in that category right now, which is why Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) believes the skipper could be in the running for the NL Manager of the Year Award when this season ends.
Blake Butera Seen as Candidate for NL Manager of the Year Award
It's easy to see why that's the case. With one of the lowest payrolls in the majors, Butera has this young roster in the thick of the Wild Card race entering June, as they came into Tuesday's slate just 1.5 games out of the final spot.
Whether Washington can stay in the race for the remainder of the season is what will determine if he is truly a candidate at the end of the year or not. But based on the expectations surrounding this team coming into the 2026 campaign, if he has the Nationals in the mix during the final month of the season -- especially if they sell at the deadline -- then he would have a good case to take home that coveted award in his first year on the job.
How Blake Butera Matches Up to Past Winners
Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy has won the award in back-to-back years. On the surface, that bodes well for Butera since the Brewers have gotten credit for having success despite their low payroll. However, Milwaukee has also been elite under Murphy, as they won 97 games and the NL Central last season and 93 games and their division the season before that in his first year in charge.
Washington likely won't reach that mark this season under Butera barring something phenomenal happening. And it's also unlikely they'll be able to chase down the Atlanta Braves for the NL East lead. But in 2023, then-Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker won the award by getting his team into the playoffs with an 87-78 record. So that could be the pathway for Butera to take home the NL Manager of the Year Award if he's able to do something similar with the Nationals this season.
Beyond that, he has to hope nobody wins 100-plus games, as Buck Showalter won the award in 2022 when the New York Mets had 101 wins, and Gabe Kapler won it in 2021 when the San Francisco Giants had an MLB-leading 107 wins.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai