The Washington Nationals finished the 2025 season with a disappointing record of 66-96. The 2024 offseason was filled with optimism from the front office, only to see GM Mike Rizzo and Manager Davey Martinez fired in July. The 2025 season was arguably the worst-case scenario for the Nats, 30 games under .500 in year five of the rebuild. Despite the negativity of the 2025 season, two rookies made an immediate impact for the Nationals: Daylen Lile and Brad Lord.
Daylen Lile
It's unbelievable how Daylen Lile played in the final 30 games of the 2025 season. He hit .376/.429/1.126 with six home runs and 20 RBI. Lile was one of the best hitters in baseball during the final 30 games of the season. Daylen finished the season with a .299 average with nine home runs, 41 RBI, and an .845 OPS. Lile was called up to the Majors at the end of May for 11 games, collected just six hits in 31 at-bats, and was sent back down to the minors. A few weeks later, Lile was recalled and hit the ground running with a home run in his first game back in the Majors against the Chicago Cubs. While Daylen was productive throughout July and August, September was when he made his mark.
Drafted in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school, Lile was a well-known prospect in the pre-draft process. From Louisville, Kentucky, Lile was recruited by many high-profile Division 1 Universities but decided to sign with the Nats following the Draft. He was a two-time High School Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kentucky. Before the 2022 season, Lile suffered an elbow injury that would require Tommy John surgery, which would make him miss the entire season. Daylen missed a key year of development in the minor leagues, so there's an argument that he could have more in store as he continues to develop. Just 22 years old, the Nationals have an excellent player in the form of Daylen Lile.
Brad Lord
Widely unknown among Nats fans entering the 2025 season, Brad Lord entered Spring Training with a chip on his shoulder. Lord pitched well throughout the Spring and was rewarded with a spot in Washington's bullpen at the end of camp. Just a couple of days into the season, he's asked to enter the starting rotation and fills in with ease. Then Lord was reassigned to the bullpen as the Nats' rotation got healthy and produced. When Trevor Williams went down for the season, Lord was tabbed to take his spot in the rotation. Throughout the season, Lord had his role changed about four different times and did not skip a beat. He finished the 2025 season with 48 games pitched, a 4.34 ERA, 130.2 innings pitched, and a 1.29 WHIP.
In the second half of the season, it's reasonable to say that Brad Lord was the Nationals' best starting pitcher. MacKenzie Gore was inconsistent, Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker are atrocious, and Cade Cavalli didn't pitch in enough games. Lord should have an avenue into the starting rotation in 2026, barring a complete roster overhaul. An 18th-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of South Florida, Brad Lord doesn't care about the pedigree of early-round picks; he's here to get the job done.