Sep 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Daylen Lile (51) celebrates after hitting a single against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Nationals Rookie Daylen Lile About to Make History With Latest Franchise Tie

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 12:01 PM ET

If there's anything that can be considered a fact about the Washington Nationals this year, it's that they have one remarkable rookie on their roster.

At age 22, outfielder Daylen Lile has transformed himself into one of the most reliable players within the franchise in 2025. He made his MLB debut on May 23 and has been turning heads ever since.

This is only the beginning of what could be an incredibly successful career in the Major Leagues for the young star.

Throughout his first professional season, Lile has hit numerous rookie milestones. His latest achievement took place on Friday night when the Nationals faced the New York Mets.

Although the Mets secured a substantial victory of 12-6, Lile hit yet another milestone and is inching closer to breaking one more record, despite this being his first year.

Nationals Rookie Ties Record With Denard Span

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

He is only 84 games into his MLB career, but he's already on track to making franchise history yet again. Former Nationals outfielder Denard Span has held onto a Washington record (2005-present) for most single-season triples (11).

After Lile hit his 11th triple on Friday, he is now tied with Span's record. He is currently slashing .286/.336/.468 this season. As he gains more experience playing in the Major Leagues, he continues to stamp his name into history books.

With his 11th triple of the year, Daylen Lile has tied Denard Span for the most triples in a season in Nationals history (2005-pres.). pic.twitter.com/dmf9lXS2Ol
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) September 20, 2025

As Lile humorously stated earlier this week, according to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, "People should respect my power more. But no, as long as I just keep barreling the balls and just keep using the big part of the field, things are going to go pretty good."

Washington is now wrapping up the season, but they still have a few more games to go, which means Lile has more chances to officially surpass Span's record. It's only a matter of time.

The Nationals will play New York for two more games on Saturday and Sunday, followed by a three-game set against the Atlanta Braves early next week. The Braves sit right above Washington at No. 4 in the National League East standings with an overall record of 71-83.

The last time the two franchises faced each other, the Nationals dropped each game of the set. Although Washington is currently experiencing a brutal drought, there is time for them to turn things around before they meet back up with Atlanta.

With Lile continuing to impress, if he can maintain his pace, the franchise could make a comeback.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: