Sep 9, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile (51) is congratulated at home plate by Luis García Jr. (2) for his solo home run against the Miami Marlins in the fifth inning at loanDepot Park. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Nationals Outfielder Daylen Lile Ties Bryce Harper's Rookie Franchise Record

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 12:19 PM ET

After such a successful series sweep against the Miami Marlins at the beginning of September, it was rather surprising to watch the Washington Nationals drop the third game of their second matchup this month on Wednesday night considering how well they have been playing.

On Monday, the Nationals had a whopping 15-7 victory that was followed by a 7-5 win on Tuesday. However, things took a turn on Wednesday when the Marlins surged ahead in the sixth inning and scored four runs. That was followed by one run scored in the seventh and three in the eighth to hand Washington an 8-3 loss in Game 3.

That defeat now brings their the Nationals' overall record to 60-85, keeping themselves at the very bottom of the division standings. But as this tough season comes to a close, one young player has emerged as a future star.

Daylen Lile Ties Bryce Harper's Rookie Record

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Former top prospect Daylen Lile has turned heads since being called up for his debut this year. Under-the-radar compared to some of the other players in their pipeline, he looks like a staple of this outfield unit going forward.

A lot of that has to do with his incredible knack to hit triples, with the youngster smacking another one on Wednesday in RBI fashion to score Josh Bell. Lile's latest triple was the ninth of his rookie season, which ties him with Bryce Harper for the most by a Nationals rookie.

Despite only being 22 years old, Lile has been an absolute machine on the field this season. Just a few short days ago, he became the second rookie in franchise history to hit two triples in one game. The previous record stood for roughly two decades.

With a triple in the 6th inning, Daylen Lile has tied Bryce Harper (2012) for the most triples by a rookie in Nationals history (2005-pres.) https://t.co/IZPUCdvFZj
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) September 11, 2025

Lile has been impressive throughout his 75 games in 2025. He's slashed .286/.330/.459 with five home runs, 27 extra-base hits, 30 RBI and an OPS+ of 122. If he's able to hit another triple and surpass what Harper did during his rookie season when he was named the NL Rookie of the Year, that will be another feather in Lile's cap.

Washington is set for their final matchup of their four-game set against Miami looking to secure a series win over their division rivals. The Nationals will return to loanDepot park on Thursday night in hopes of continuing the strong stretch of play they've had in the month of September where they have won their two previous series.