This Nats prospect is a 'scoreboard changer'

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Daylen Lile views zeroes on both sides of the box score -- those he wants to add to at the plate and others he wants to maintain in the outfield -- with the same importance. At 20 years old, the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks outfielder knows who he wants to be as a baseball player.

“I look at myself as a scoreboard changer,” Lile said earlier this month from the dugout at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn. “Even if I don’t hit in a game, I can still do something on defense to help the team out. … I could walk, I could be the big run, I could steal a bag. … I would like to think that any aspect of the game -- whether it’s on defense, on the basepaths or hitting -- is a scoreboard changer.”

Last week, Lile made the biggest jump among the Nationals’ Top 30 prospects in MLB Pipeline’s midseason re-rankings, rising from No. 15 to No. 6. He began the season in Single-A and, after garnering Carolina League Player of the Week recognition, he was promoted to High-A on July 18.

Lile is in his first season back after missing all of 2022 because of Tommy John surgery. The injury occurred just one year after Lile was selected by the Nats in the second round of the ‘21 Draft out of Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky., where he earned back-to-back Gatorade Kentucky High School Player of the Year honors.

“It’s definitely a blessing coming out here playing the game I love and doing it every day,” Lile said.

The year away from the game led to moments of insight early on in Lile’s pro career. In addition to learning about taking care of his body and the necessary recovery time, he also honed in on specific areas of his game.

Lile studied film to assess his movement on the offensive side. The left-handed batter has incorporated a daily routine that helps him stay in his legs and improve the rotational aspect of his hitting. Another focus is balancing his strikeout and walk rates.

“My power,” he said when asked which part of his game he is most proud of. “I would say that’s the biggest thing because people look at me as a contact hitter, but now that I’m able to show that I do have power, it’s pretty cool.”

In the field, Lile adjusted his throwing motion to take stress off his elbow. As a result, he is able to get the ball in faster. Lile has played all three outfield positions in Double-A, and with that position stacked in the Nats’ Minor League system -- their top two prospects, Dylan Crews and James Wood, both play center -- being versatile enough to play a corner position could be a benefit.

“I would say that’s the biggest thing that people look past, saying I don’t have a strong arm,” Lile said. “But now, having Tommy John, I can actually show it off now.”

Lile describes himself as a “perfectionist.” With that mindset, he has already learned the ups and downs of baseball. He recalled August 2021, when -- just six games into his pro ball experience -- he had three strikeouts in consecutive games.

“Whenever I was going through travel ball in high school, I was getting, probably, three hits a game,” he said. “Then, going to [the Florida Complex League], when I struck out three times, I didn’t know how to handle it. But I had guys that were alongside of me that helped me through that. … That’s the biggest thing I had to learn was the mental side of it, that it’s not always going to go my way every day. But if I can still help out the team in any possible way, that means a lot.”

Vocal among his teammates, Lile prefers to let his game do the talking on the field.

“I really don’t say much; I just do what I need to do,” he said. “Talking is one thing, but if you can go out there and show everybody what you’re about, it goes a long way.”

In his first full season on the professional level, Lile has a clear sense of how he wants to continue to develop and grow. He looks forward to putting it all together on the big league stage.

“I feel like I’ve been slept on a lot by people,” he said. “So I want to show them who Daylen Lile is and that I can compete at any level.”