Nationals Hire Rays’ Michael Johns As Bench Coach

4:02pm: It is now official, as both the Nats and Rays announced Johns’s hiring.

1:57pm: The Nationals are planning to hire Rays first base coach Michael Johns as the bench coach under new manager Blake Butera, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Butera, like Johns, was with the Rays prior to being hired in Washington. He’d been Tampa Bay’s senior director of player development and surely has a strong rapport his new bench coach.

Johns has been in his current position for the past two seasons and has more than two decades in professional baseball as a minor league manager, coach and coordinator. The 50-year-old has spent his entire career to date in the Rays organization and previously managed Tampa Bay’s Triple-A, High-A and Rookie-ball affiliates, totaling nine years as a minor league skipper.

In addition to his lengthy coaching/development background, Johns had a brief career as a player. The former Tulane infielder was selected by the Rockies in the 19th round back in 1997 and spent two seasons in the low levels of Colorado’s system before playing a third year on the independent circuit.

Johns is the first known hire who’ll serve on what’s expected to be a fully revamped coaching staff in 2026. New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has previously suggested that big league experience is not a prerequisite but would be a bonus to any candidates’ cases as they look to fill out the staff.