The 2025 season has not gone the way the Nationals hoped, with the struggles showing up clearly in the standings. Even so, a few bright spots have made this year easier to watch. A handful of players who were not expected to play major roles have stepped up and made their presence felt.
While the Nationals remain a long way from contending, these surprise performers gave fans something to cheer for in a season that has often felt like a grind. Three players in particular stand out for how much they have exceeded expectations and carved out meaningful roles in Washington.
Daylen Lile
Daylen Lile earned a surprise call-up to Washington this year. The 22-year-old outfielder began the season in the minors, and most figured he would need at least another year of development before getting a shot. Instead, he forced his way into the picture with strong performances in Double-A and Triple-A, making it to the Nationals by mid-season.
Since arriving, Lile has been one of the most consistent bats in the lineup. He is hitting .278 with a .758 OPS to go along with 4 home runs, 28 RBI, and 7 triples. That last number jumps off the page, as he already leads all rookies in three-baggers despite playing in far fewer games than most of his peers. Since mid-July, he has ranked first among rookies in hits, triples, and batting average, second in slugging and OPS, and third in on-base percentage. After a bit of a slow start, he worked his way back into positive WAR, showing real value to Washington down the stretch.
Lile’s accelerated schedule makes this especially surprising. Lile lost development time earlier in his career and only reached High-A in 2023, so it was hard to project him as an impact player this soon. Instead, he provided a spark for the Nationals and put himself firmly in the conversation as part of the long-term core. His emergence offers one of the biggest and most welcome storylines of the 2025 season.
José A. Ferrer
Coming into the season, José A. Ferrer was seen as a talented but unproven arm. The 25-year-old lefty flashed potential in 2024 and even drew “future closer” talk in the spring thanks to his fastball and changeup. Still, he had not yet earned the trust to pitch in big spots.
The start of 2025 did not help his case. Over the first two months, Ferrer’s ERA sat above 5.00 and a handful of blown leads made him look more like a liability than a late-inning option. Some of that could be chalked up to bad luck, but he clearly needed to make adjustments to stick.
Since early May, Ferrer has completely flipped his season. He has not allowed a run since August 3 and transformed himself into one of the most reliable relievers on the roster. With Kyle Finnegan traded at the deadline, Ferrer stepped into the closer role and has thrived. He now carries a 3.97 ERA across 68 innings with 6 saves and a 1.5 WAR, and the underlying numbers back it up. His fastball velocity ranks in the 93rd percentile. His walk and barrel rates are both in the 96th. And his groundball rate is among the very best in baseball.
Ferrer’s rise proves particularly surprising because of how quickly he grew into the role. A young reliever with early struggles could have gone the other way, but instead he has settled in and taken over as Washington’s closer. His turnaround stabilized a bullpen that remained one of the team’s biggest question marks earlier in the year.
Brad Lord
Brad Lord was not on anyone’s radar heading into 2025. A former 18th-round pick in 2022, he did not spring to mind as one of the organization’s better arms and wasn’t expected to make much noise. Despite a breakout minor league season last year, it was hard to picture him making an impact in Washington this soon. His story becomes even more remarkable considering he spent recent offseasons working at Home Depot to make ends meet.
That background makes Lord’s success this year even more impressive. He not only made the Opening Day roster, but the Nationals used him in almost every role possible. He started games, pitched long relief, and came out of the bullpen in key situations. Through it all, he has held his own.
He currently owns a 4.20 ERA and is coming off one of his best outings of the year recently against the Cubs. In that game, he went 5.2 innings, allowed one run, and struck out seven. His underlying numbers for the season stand out too, with top-tier marks in average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and groundball rate, along with a 1.4 WAR on the season.
Lord’s status as one of the team’s most dependable pitchers was unanticipated. During a rough stretch for MacKenzie Gore, there were times when Lord looked like the most reliable starter on the staff. For a player drafted in the 18th round and never projected to be a big league piece, he has blossomed into a steady arm and possibly more. His emergence has put him on the map as someone who could play a real role in the Nationals’ rotation moving forward.