Nationals Boss Explains Why He Hired 31-Year-Old General Manager Ani Kilambi

The Washington Nationals made a hire at general manager, and Paul Toboni explains why he made this decision.

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The Washington Nationals continue to skew young.

That was on full display when owner Mark Lerner decided to hand the reins of the baseball operations department over to 35-year-old Paul Toboni. Based on his age and connections, it wasn't surprising to see him turn to other up-and-coming executives to fill prominent roles in his new front office.

The youth movement continued when Toboni started eyeing a manager. He decided to make 33-year-old Blake Butera the youngest MLB skipper in over 70 years when he hired him this offseason. And instead of adding a more experienced staff around Butera, the Nationals opted to hire more young coaches.

Now, Washington has their new general manager. And once again, he is on the younger side. 31-year-old Ani Kilambi is leaving the Philadelphia Phillies for the nation's capital, which is an exciting addition for this Nationals organization.

Paul Toboni Gives Explanation for Why Ani Kilambi Was Hired

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The hiring of Kilambi was something that came out of nowhere. Toboni wasn't sure if he would hire a general manager under him this offseason, with the focus instead being on to fill out the rest of the front office roles, development staff and coaching positions throughout the organization.

But with a lot of that straightened out at this point of the winter, the new boss must have thought the time was right when it came to looking for his No. 2. Ultimately, he landed on Kilambi, who many have considered a rising star in the sport when it comes to his acumen in research and development.

Toboni also gave some insight into why he decided to hire Kilambi and make him one of the youngest general managers in Major League Baseball. And a lot of it has to do with who he is as a professional and a leader.

Now official. From Toboni and Kilambi: https://t.co/ATGEDrnzHB pic.twitter.com/gYIq3eKmYY

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) December 18, 2025

"Ani has earned a reputation around the industry as one of the brightest front office minds in the game. He's not only a sharp and strategic leader who is a great communicator, but he is also thoughtful and humble and aligns with our values. Ani is an excellent complement to the leadership group we have in place, both in terms of his past experience and who is as a person," Toboni stated, per Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post.

The president of baseball operations didn't get into specifics about what exact role Kilambi would have with Washington. But it stands to reason that he'll be heavily involved in the research and development aspect since that is his specialty.