The Washington Nationals were eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago. At this point in the season, Nationals manager Mike Debartolo and the front office are preparing to make some tough choices in the offseason. However, Washington stole a game from the New York Mets on Saturday night. Rookie Daylen Lile made history against Tyler Rodgers in the process.
Lile has been an electric presence in the Nationals' lineup since the team called him up to the big leagues. Washington already has an ascending star in James Wood to leading the offense. However, DeBartolo and the team might have found another player to grow alongside him moving forward. According to OptaSTATS, the first month of his career has a special place in league history.
“Daylen Lile of the Nationals has 7 triples and 4 home runs so far this month,” OptaSTATS said. “He's the first MLB rookie to reach those marks in a single calendar month since Cincinnati's Vada Pinson (8 3B, 4 HR) in June 1963.”
Lile's fourth home run of his career came in spectacular fashion. The Nationals took the Mets into extra innings in a road matchup on Saturday. The rookie designated hitter stepped in against Rodgers, one of New York's trade deadline additions, in the 11th inning. Lile hit an inside-the-park home run to score two runs that proved to be the deciding play in a 5-3 win.
According to Major League Baseball statistician Sarah Langs, Lile set a Nationals' franchise record in the process.
“14.86 seconds for Daylen Lile,” Langs said. “That’s the Nationals’ fastest home-to-home time under Statcast (2015)”
Washington has a bright future when it comes to its young talent. The Nationals have some intriguing pitching talent to pair with Wood, Lile, and the rest of their offensive talent. The first month of Lile's career has been fantastic, a great sign for the team looking forward to 2026.
