Daylen Lile could be the first of many Nationals Rookie of the Year candidates

The Rookie of the Year vote totals have been released to the public. Nick Kurtz (Athletics) was the winner in the AL, and Drake Baldwin (Braves) takes home the hardware in the NL. The AL vote wasn't particularly close, but the NL chase was much tighter.

The first-place vote was relatively split between Baldwin and Cade Horton (Cubs), and a pair of Brewers (Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins (also received second-place votes). After that, Nationals outfielder appeared in fifth place, despite only playing in the major leagues for about half of the season.

In a season that Trea Turner won the batting title with a .304 average, Lile finished just five points behind him (albeit in an abbreviated big-league cameo). Lile also scored 51 runs, hit an eye-popping 11 triples, and was performing best of all as the season came to a close. Raw ability took him far, so imagine what's to come in the future.

It's fascinating to think about what Lile could become in an organization that's catching up with the most innovative practices in baseball. Over the last decade, the Nationals had fallen dangerously behind in areas of player development and analytics. With Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez out of the picture, we're already season major changes towards younger, more modern thinking.

Paul Toboni played an instrumental role in drafting and development for the up-and-coming Boston Red Sox, and his initial front office hires share similar types of resumes to him. Toboni hired a young manager, Blake Butera, who has been a star teacher in the minor leagues for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Butera's staff in appearing to be similarly innovative instructors.

Imagine what a player like Daylen Lile, who was very productive as a rookie based on raw talent alone, could become now that he's surrounded by such impressive teachers and students of modern-day baseball. Fears of a sophomore slump should be quelled, and it's much easier to see him taking the next step towards stardom.

Not only should Lile be viewed this way; we'll likely see more players break through and become core contributors on a major league roster. So few players have been drafted and developed in a meaningful way by the Nationals over the last decade. Prior to Lile, the last National to receive Rookie of the Year votes was Victor Robles (sixth place finish in 2019), and that was the best season he ever had in Washington. Don't expect that to be the case this time around.

Could we expect anyone else to be like Daylen Lile soon? Could we see another one of the young outfielders, Brady House, or someone we aren't thinking of take the next step towards becoming a consistent, star hitter? Could some pitchers, under the guidance of new pitching coach Simon Mathews, or one of catching coordinator Bobby Wilson's students become stable building blocks on a rebuilding roster?

One thing seems clear. Daylen Lile broke through as a rookie on team that was led by lifelong big leaguers who hadn't evolved towards new ways of thinking, and who were hired by a front office that had lost its touch in drafting and development. The Toboni regime appears to be a major pivot in the other direction, and compared to the trials and tribulations of his predecessor, it seems likely that Washington will begin to produce more Daylen Liles.