-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
The youngest major league manager in five decades is going to have a pitching coach even younger than him. One with a significant D.C. connection and a pedigree in modern baseball philosophy.
The Nationals have hired 30-year-old Simon Mathews as their new pitching coach, luring the up-and-comer from the Reds to work for 33-year-old manager Blake Butera.
Mathews, who first made a name for himself as one of the best pitchers in Georgetown history, spent this past season as Cincinnati’s assistant pitching coach, working underneath the highly regarded Derek Johnson. That’s his lone season on a major league staff, but that actually makes him more experienced than Butera, who has never played, coached nor managed above Single-A.
Mathews worked in the Reds organization for five seasons, the first four in the minors. He began in 2021 by implementing the club’s pitching program at its Dominican academy, then was rehab pitching coordinator in 2022. He served as assistant coordinator of rehabilitation and pitching initiatives from 2023-24, then earned his first promotion to the big leagues in 2025 as assistant pitching coach.
Cincinnati’s pitching staff has lowered its ERA and WHIP each of the last four seasons, from a 4.86 ERA that ranked 28th in the majors in 2022 to a 3.86 ERA that ranked 12th this year, and from a 1.389 WHIP that ranked 26th in 2022 to a 1.222 WHIP that ranked seventh this year. The Reds earned a wild card berth this season behind a pitching staff anchored by three homegrown starters in their 20s (Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo) who each finished with an ERA under 3.35 and a WHIP under 1.150.
“Simon brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and a wide range of experience to our staff,” Butera said in a statement released by the Nationals. “He is grounded, has great perspective on pitching and connects incredibly well with players at all levels. He is widely respected throughout the game and the type of coach that makes everyone around him better. Simon is a tireless worker and is uniquely equipped to help our pitchers reach their full potential.”
Prior to joining the Reds, Mathews worked for a pair of noted pitching labs: He was director of pitching at Push Performance in Tempe, Ariz., and an online trainer for Driveline Baseball. According to the Nationals, in those roles he “designed throwing programs for pitchers, with an emphasis on improving movement patterns and velocity and promoted arm health.”
“Good coach,” Driveline founder and former Reds minor league pitching coordinator Kyle Boddy posted on X. “Hired Simon to be our DSL pitching coach back in 2021 and he’s done amazing work.”
A native of West Haven, Conn., Mathews pitched one season at Temple before transferring to Georgetown. Over three seasons with the Hoyas, the right-hander went 14-17 with a 3.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 244 2/3 innings. He holds the single-season school record for strikeouts (85) and ranks in the top-10 in program history in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in political economy.
Mathews’ professional pitching experience came as a non-drafted free agent by the Angels. He pitched in 71 total minor league games from 2017-19, going 13-12 with a 4.51 ERA, twice reaching Triple-A Salt Lake.
Mathews joins bench coach Michael Johns (formerly the Rays’ first base coach) as the first two announced members of Butera’s staff. The Washington Post reported Monday evening the Nationals also are hiring Bobby Wilson as catching coordinator. A 10-year major league veteran who caught for the Angels, Diamondbacks, Rays, Rangers, Tigers and Twins, the 42-year-old was Texas’ catching coordinator since 2021, winning a World Series ring in 2023 and helping develop Jonah Heim into a Gold Glove winner.
Meanwhile, former Nationals hitting coach Darnell Coles was hired Monday by the Braves to serve as assistant hitting coach under new manager Walt Weiss. Coles had been on Davey Martinez and Miguel Cairo’s staffs since 2022.
