Nationals Hire Desmond McGowan To Lead Amateur Scouting

"McGowan got his start in baseball with the Yankees as an analytics associate in 2019 before jumping to the Mets as an analyst in 2021. He rose through the ranks across five years in the Mets front office and was promoted to manager of data science earlier this year. McGowan's work with the club was primarily focused on the draft, and he'll remain in a similar role with the Nationals as he takes over his new club's amateur scouting apparatus."

"The hire continues an offseason that has been focused on overhauling the Nationals' front office and coaching staffs after Paul Toboni and Blake Butera were brought in to replace Mike Rizzo as head of baseball operations and Dave Martinez as manager, respectively. Butera has made a number of additions to the coaching staff in the weeks since his hire, while Toboni has retained interim GM Mike DeBartolo in an assistant GM role while adding former Pirates director of amateur scouting Justin Horwitz to the organization as an assistant GM as well."

"The Nationals' focus on bringing in front office talent with a history in scouting continues with the hiring of McGowan. Toboni himself, of course, began his career with the Red Sox as an area scout before ascending the ranks to become an assistant GM during his time with Boston. That his front office hires to this point have reflected that experience is hardly a surprise, particularly given the fact that the Nationals remain entrenched in a lengthy rebuild that began back in 2021."

Desmond McGowan will serve as director of amateur acquisitions for the Nationals, overseeing their amateur scouting. McGowan began as an analytics associate with the Yankees in 2019, joined the Mets as an analyst in 2021, and was promoted to manager of data science after five years focused primarily on the draft. The hiring is part of a broader offseason overhaul that brought Paul Toboni as head of baseball operations and Blake Butera as manager, with multiple front-office and coaching additions. The Nationals continue emphasizing executives with scouting backgrounds while remaining entrenched in a rebuild that started in 2021.

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