Daylen Lile Will Make Nationals Rookie History with His Next Triple

Daylen Lile has been showing off his speed next season and his next triple will set a new Washington Nationals rookie record.

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For those that have followed the Washington Nationals all season, they know that Daylen Lile can fly. This season he’s put that speed to good use on the basepaths.

Lile hasn’t been stealing many bases. He only has eight in 77 games, and he’s been caught five times going into Saturday’s action. But he has impressive slash line for a rookie outfielder — .283/.331/.452. He has five home runs and 30 RBI. He’s also scored 43 runs and does an impressive job of putting himself in scoring position.

That includes getting to third base on his own. Recently, he tied a former Washington Nationals first-round pick for the most triples in a rookie season. If he claims one more triple, he’ll own the record.

Daylen Lile’s Triples Record Pursuit

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Lile’s last triple was on Wednesday. That gave him nine for the season and tied him with former Nationals star Bryce Harper for the most in a rookie season, per Nationals Communications on X (formerly Twitter). Harper set the record in 2012 when he claimed the National League rookie of the year award. He now plays for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lile broke a tie for second place with Trea Turner, who had eight triples as a Washington rookie in 2016. He also plays for the Phillies after the Nationals dealt him to the Los Angeles Dodgers a few years ago.

The 22-year-old Lile has shown a penchant for triples of late. Recently in Chicago, he became the second rookie in Washington Nationals history to have two triples in a game since 2005, when the franchise moved from Montreal. The only other rookie with two triples in the same game was Bernie Castro, who accomplished the feat on Sept. 16, 2006, against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The game was also notable because he was the first hitter for a visiting team to have two triples in a game at Wrigley Field in 14 years.

Entering Saturday’s action, Lile is fifth in the Majors in triples, behind Arizona’s Corbin Carroll (16), Boston’s Jarren Duran (12), San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee (11) and Detroit’s Zach McKinstry (11).

Lile started this year at Double-A Harrisburg but played so well he earned a promotion to Triple-A Rochester on April 30. The Nationals selected his contract on May 23 and promoted him after center fielder Jacob Young’s injury. The Nats optioned him back o June 6 and recalled him on June 16. In 47 minor league games he slashed .328/.377/.503 with four home runs and 29 RBI.

The Nationals selected Lile in the second round (No. 47) overall of the 2021 MLB draft out of Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky. He missed the 2022 minor league season after he tore the UCL in his throwing elbow during spring training, an injury that required Tommy John surgery.