Washington Nationals brass needs to stop using 2019 as a crutch

With the losses piling up, Mike Rizzo could not stop talking about 2019 in his interview yesterday

The Washington Nationals 2019 World Series win was one of the greatest moments in my life. As I was battling cancer that year, that team brought me so much light. The World Series run riveted me and inspired me to keep fighting. I will never forget the joy I felt when Daniel Hudson struck out Michael Brantley to bring the Nats their first ever World Series.

However, it is 2025 now. I am five years cancer free, there has been a global pandemic and the world has changed so much. However, whenever the Nats top brass has to face a tough question, they revert to 2019. Mike Rizzo did it consistently in his interview with the Junkies. He defended Davey saying that people wanted him out after the 19-31 start to 2019.

This just is not a satisfactory answer for me anymore. 2019 was six years ago now and not particularly relevant to the current day. There is not a single player from that 2019 roster who is currently on the team. It is a whole new situation and a whole new team.

One thing I also did not like about Rizzo’s interview was when he belittled the likes of the Pirates, Rockies and Orioles when he was asked about a managerial change. Yes, the Nationals have won a World Series far more recently than those teams, but there was a sense of unearned arrogance in the answer. After all, the Nationals have the second most losses in baseball since 2020.

The World Series was an outstanding achievement, but this is a what have you done for me lately business. How long of a leash does a World Series give you? It should not be six years of losing without an end in sight.

The further 2019 gets away, the more hollow Rizzo and Martinez’s points about how they have done it before get. It is becoming more questionable if they can do it again as the losses pile up.

Also, how has a coach not been held accountable for this mess. Darnell Coles and Jim Hickey were not on the staff in 2019, yet they are somehow safe from repercussions. 2019 has allowed Rizzo and Davey to do things totally their own way and tune out the rest of the baseball world.

That is why they have a hitting coach with such an antiquated approach and are so stubborn about doing things their way. As Chelsea Janes alluded to in her article, the Nationals are pretending that everything is okay and that all is going according to plan. This 11 game losing streak has has exposed the truth.

The Nationals rebuild is behind schedule. 2025 has now become a write off and it is becoming hard to imagine how this team can compete in 2026 even with some major additions. There are so many anchors that need to be replaced. Anchors on the roster and anchors on the coaching staff.

2019 was the greatest thing to ever happen to the Washington Nationals. However, the top brass are now using that success to distract from the rot that has taken hold in the Nationals organization. No matter how great something is, you can’t hold onto it forever. The Washington Nationals need to stop looking in the past and start looking towards the future. Should Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo be part of that future, or should the team fully move on and create a new era that isn’t beholden to 2019. Right now it seems like the ladder is the better option.