Jeff Duncan: New Orleans' Blake Butera became MLB's youngest manager, a new father on same day

Jeff Duncan: New Orleans' Blake Butera became MLB's youngest manager, a new father on same day

New Orleans native Blake Butera became the youngest Major League Baseball manager in more than 50 years when he was named the manager of the Washington Nationals on Oct. 31, 2025.

Blake Butera Hiring Is a Worthwhile Risk for New-Look Nationals

The Washington Nationals have been among the most downtrodden franchises in Major League Baseball in the 2020s. They may have won the World Series in 2019, but every season since has been a disappointment. The Nationals have not lost fewer than 91 games in a full 162-game season over that span. In July of 2025, principal owner Mark Lerner had seen enough. Mike Rizzo, who had run baseball operations for the Nats since the 2011 season, was fired –…