Brad Lord Seizing New Opportunity as Washington Nationals Starter

The Washington Nationals might have a solid starter on their hands.

Aug 3, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Brad Lord (61) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning at Nationals Park. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Brad Lord is showing the Washington Nationals that maybe he should have been given the opportunity to step into the starting rotation long before the trade deadline. The Nationals sold out basically everywhere they could and because of that the right-handed pitcher is getting a chance to be a consistent man in the rotation.

Lord made his debut in the majors just this season after spending two seasons in the Nationals' farming system. He was primarily used as a reliever this year, but has now been used in three starts since July 28, two of which have come in August (post-trade deadline).

Lord in Last Two Starts

Lord is 1-1 in August against the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Francisco Giants. Even though he lost the battle against the No. 1 team in baseball (Brewers) he went into San Francisco to help lead the Nationals to a series victory over the Giants.

They pulled the plug on him against Milwaukee after 4.2 innings when he allowed three earned runs on six hits. On the bright side he struck out six while walking two. He bounced back the following start.

Jul 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Brad Lord (61) throws to the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Nationals Park. | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The former 18th-round pick went six full innings against the Giants. Lord knew that they would have to win two straight to avoid losing the series and he came through. He had a single earned run with six strikeouts to only two walks.

This Season With the Nationals

Even though Lord has been primarily used as a reliever this season, he has stepped up in a big way, which is why the organization is giving him a chance to see what he can do with a heavier workload.

On the season, he has been used in 39 games, posting a 3.28 ERA. The ball club has used him in 85 complete innings where the rookie has struck out 70 and kept the batting average to a .239.

In his last four starts, he has gone 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA. His 2.70 ERA is from the past 15 games, where he was used as a reliever more than a starter, but he is still posting great numbers. In over 36 innings of work, he has struck out 28 opponents with eight walks.

Washington has been one of the worst organizations all year on the mound. They swap between worst and second-to-worst in many different pitching categories, including ERA, opponents' batting averages, total hits, and WHIP.

Lord has definitely shown that he can contribute in a positive light for the pitching staff and if he keeps going the way he is, he could have a permanent spot next season.