Nationals Skipper Says They Are Focused on More Than Wins and Losses This Season

When the Washington Nationals decided to hire Paul Toboni as the team's new president of baseball operations, it became clear that even more rebuilding was going to be done in the nation's capital.

Throughout the early stages of the offseason, that's where a large focus of the attention was given. The front office was built with development in mind and the coaching staff was pieced together with the intent on growing alongside the young players in place on the current MLB roster and those who will eventually come up the pipeline.

Because of that, the general sentiment surrounding this Nationals team entering the 2026 campaign is that it will be one of evaluation. And while that is going to be the case at an executive level, manager Blake Butera stated the mission inside the clubhouse is for every player to become the best version of themselves.

Nationals Focusing on Building Culture in 2026 More Than Wins and Losses

Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera and first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"The big thing is just kind of setting the tone of how we're going to operate,'" Butera said, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. "Talking to [players] in the offseason, the common theme was, 'We need to get better; we're not finished products.' They all feel like there's another gear they can get to and that they haven't even scratched the surface of what they're capable of doing. It's our job as a staff to help them become the best versions of themselves; that's the culture we're building."

While there has been some high-end moments and seasons put together by many of the best players on the team, there is also plenty for them to work on. For example, while CJ Abrams has turned into a consistent offensive force, his defense his horrendous. James Wood is an elite power hitter, but he led the MLB in strikeouts last year. Daylen Lile looks like a future star, but his defense is a huge limiting factor. And Dylan Crews continues to struggle with major league pitching.

Culture building is important, and it's something this regime has to get right if they are going to come out on the other side of this rebuild actually in a position where they can compete for championships. And the hope is that by establishing things early, that will allow this current crop of stars to reach their ceilings as the other talented youngsters start arriving in The Show.

So even though things might not look pretty on the field for the Nationals this season, the focus for everyone is on more than just wins and losses as they attempt to create a new culture that will get this franchise back on track.