The Washington Nationals are hiring 31-year-old Ani Kilambi as their new general manager, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday.
Kilambi has spent the last four years as assistant GM for the Philadelphia Phillies, leading the club’s research departments and the club’s use of data throughout the organization.
He will be just the Nationals’ third GM since they moved from Montreal ahead of the 2005 season. Kilambi replaces Mike Rizzo, who held the position from 2009 through July, when he was fired as Washington was trending toward its sixth consecutive losing season after winning the 2019 World Series. Rizzo added president of baseball operations to his title in August 2013.
The Nationals selected high school shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick in July’s MLB Draft a week after Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez were fired.
Kilambi worked for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2015-21, working his way up to being their director of decision science.
Kilambi joins a young leadership core in a revamped organization. Washington hired 35-year-old Paul Toboni as its new director of baseball operations in September and brought on Blake Butera, 33, as its new manager in October, making him the youngest MLB manager since 1972.
