Sean Doolittle’s first job after playing baseball was as a pitching strategist for the Washington Nationals.
In a recent interview with MLB Network, the now 37-year-old veteran of 11 seasons in the majors summed up his job description fairly succinctly.
“A pitcher strategist,” Doolittle explained. “…I think it’s just a fancy title that says, ‘We’re not going to let the other team score more runs than us.'”
“That’s not harsh.”
Of course, that’s not all.
The clubs he pitched for between 2017-2020 and 2022-2023, (win world series He returned in 2019 and returned for a second round in 2022-23 before injuries took a toll on him.), defined his role as: “…acts as a liaison between the analytics department and the pitching staff; [who will assist] [Nats’ manager Davey Martinez] and pitching coach [Jim Hickey] Strategy, mental preparation and mechanics,” the Nats said when they announced Doolittle’s hire earlier this month.
“Sean Doolittle has always been a very talented pitcher,” Nationals Director of Baseball Ops and GM Mike Rizzo said in a press release about Doolittle’s new role within the organization.
“But he’s also one of the brightest minds in baseball. We’re very excited to have him on our staff and coach our talented group of young pitchers.”
Doolittle appeared in 463 games in 11 seasons in the majors, had 112 saves, posted a 3.20 ERA and 2.94 FIP.
He told MLB Network hosts that he believes he has a lot to offer the next generation of Nationals as he moves into a new phase of his career.
“I think throughout my career I’ve been through a lot of good and bad, a lot of positives and negatives in this game,” he said. “I think I can relate to the players in a lot of different ways, and I’m excited to learn from them too. This game is always evolving and we want to make sure we stay on the cutting edge and help them.” If I’m going to continue, I have to keep learning and growing as the game develops.”
This new role was one the club offered him after making the decision to call it a career late last season.
“I never thought about how this job came about, even when I retired,” Doolittle said. “[GM] Mike Rizzo came up to me right after I told him of my decision to hang ’em up. I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.
“I think this is a really important time for the Nats organization. We took a big step last year with the youngest team in baseball. We have some exciting, exciting talent developing through the minor leagues. So , I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I’m really excited to be in this role and I’m looking forward to continuing to help the team move forward and win another trophy there. I hope there’s a trophy case at Knott’s Park.”
One pitcher Doolittle is particularly looking forward to working with is left-handed starter Mackenzie Gore, who is completing his first full season in the majors.After debuting and enduring injuries, he was traded to the Nationals in 2022.) and is about to take the next step as a 24-year-old playing in the major leagues for the third time.
Photo by G. Fiume/Getty Images
“I’m excited to work with Mackenzie and watch him take this next step in his career and growth,” Doolittle said.
“[T]His four-seam fastball: He has one of the better fastballs with a good vertical break. But because of the way he throws and his arm slot, it comes into play when he gets into the zone. He has a great flat approach angle. The breaking ball combo he’s working on is pretty special. He can put spin on the ball and has a curveball and slider. I think for him, having a full year last year is going to be the biggest thing for him going forward. He has that experience now and knows how to manage his body through a full season. Now it’s just a matter of tweaking a few things and maybe being a little more consistent. But he is certainly an exciting young talent. ”