Day-0 - The Arrival of Daylen Lile

[Natsinpwc]

Lile is easier to spell.  That’s my criteria. 

[tomterp]

Lile is easier to spell.  That’s my criteria.

Is it Lyle, or Lile? 

[nobleisthyname]

Lile is easier to spell.  That’s my criteria.

Maybe it's a good thing Brzykcy sucks.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Pickney can put the ball in the seats...Lile hasn't shown that in the bigs or the minors...

But honestly, debating over whether Lile or Pickney should be playing just highlights how totally pathetic this team really is...

the power thing is so recent for Pinckney. Really started last month. 8 since the ASB. Hasn't shown it through his career. Need to see if it can be sustained.

[welch]

Pinckney hit his 17th homer yesterday.

[Smithian]

I really struggle insulting 22 year old players, but he makes way more money so here we go

What is Daylen Lile supposed to be? His defense is ghastly. He doesn't have power potential. We have issues with Jacob Young, but his best case is elite defense in CF and a bat that won't hurt you as a #4 OF. That plays.

What is Lile's ceiling? Hits like a defense first CF. Fields like a big bat corner outfielder.

He should be in Rochester working on defense. Clear athlete, needs lots of refining, may develop into a #4 OF. Or am I just missing something?

[Natsinpwc]

Pinckney hit his 17th homer yesterday.

Drug test coming.

[imref]

I really struggle insulting 22 year old players, but he makes way more money so here we go

What is Daylen Lile supposed to be? His defense is ghastly. He doesn't have power potential. We have issues with Jacob Young, but his best case is elite defense in CF and a bat that won't hurt you as a #4 OF. That plays.

What is Lile's ceiling? Hits like a defense first CF. Fields like a big bat corner outfielder.

He should be in Rochester working on defense. Clear athlete, needs lots of refining, may develop into a #4 OF. Or am I just missing something?

if you look at his scouting report, he was projected to hit for average with some power.

https://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=39604.0

[Slateman]

I really struggle insulting 22 year old players, but he makes way more money so here we go

What is Daylen Lile supposed to be? His defense is ghastly. He doesn't have power potential. We have issues with Jacob Young, but his best case is elite defense in CF and a bat that won't hurt you as a #4 OF. That plays.

What is Lile's ceiling? Hits like a defense first CF. Fields like a big bat corner outfielder.

He should be in Rochester working on defense. Clear athlete, needs lots of refining, may develop into a #4 OF. Or am I just missing something?

For reference, this is what defense-first CFers look like:

Victor Scott: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/victor-scott-ii-687363?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb
Denzel Clarke: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/denzel-clarke-672016?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb
Jacob Young: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jacob-young-696285?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

For reference, here is Lile: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/daylen-lile-695734?stats=splits-r-hitting-mlb&season=2025

He's already a substantially better hitter than those guys. He's already OPSing over .700 against RHP. So with some improvement, I could see him being a .800+ OPS against RHP.

Yes, the defense is terrible. Likely never will be anything more than meh. He's basically only playable in LF or at DH. But this team doesn't have a lot of hitting as it is, so why are we so quick to give up on a guy in less than 200 plate appearances?

[Slateman]

My problem with Pickney is that he is basically all or nothing. He has 17 home runs and a sub-.750 OPS, with a sub 100 wRC+. His prospect savant page is even more troubling. He is basically swinging for the fences every time and he swings and misses a lot. I can't imagine that gets better with better velo and more challenging breaking stuff. His ceiling is like a poor man's Rougned Odor.

[IanRubbish]

What is Daylen Lile supposed to be?

Rizzo drafted him because he had a man crush on his speed.  He's yet another soft hitting contact hitter which this org has way too many of. Hassell gets you speed but with better D and more patience at the plate.  Lile should be the one to go when Crews comes back, and at some point Christian Franklin deserves a chance.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Rizzo drafted him because he had a man crush on his speed.  He's yet another soft hitting contact hitter which this org has way too many of. Hassell gets you speed but with better D and more patience at the plate.  Lile should be the one to go when Crews comes back, and at some point Christian Franklin deserves a chance.

his hard hit % and average exit velocity are just about league average. He doesn't elevate, has a low barrel rate, but it's not soft contact. 20+ line drive % every year in the system. xwOBA of .342. I wouldn’t give up on him given what he's competing with on this roster

[Slateman]

Rizzo drafted him because he had a man crush on his speed.  He's yet another soft hitting contact hitter which this org has way too many of. Hassell gets you speed but with better D and more patience at the plate.  Lile should be the one to go when Crews comes back, and at some point Christian Franklin deserves a chance.

JFC, he was a high schooler they took in the 2nd round, and one of the best pure high school hitters. He was going to be drafted by someone. He wasn't even scouted as being particularly fast. His draft status was based on his hitting ability.

He walks ~1% less than Hassell in Triple A and twice as much him in the major leagues. Lile has more than held his own since coming up and is an above average major league hitter the last month. Hes 22 years old.

Also, Hassell is like the definition of a contact hitter with speed. Not sure why we're suddenly hating on that.

[imref]

The Nationals put this out earlier:

Since July 12th, Daylen Lile ranks among NL rookies in:

⚾️Slugging% - 1st, .526 (min. 60 PA)
⚾️Triples - 1st, 3
⚾️Extra-Base Hits - T1st, 8
⚾️OPS - 2nd, .860 (min. 60 PA)
⚾️RBI - T2nd, 10

Gotta DFA bell and let Lile DH once Crews is up.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

gap to gap liners for doubles. That's his game. It's a small sample (3 weeks), but I think this guy is going to be surprisingly large & positive for this team. I had him written off at the start of the year, but he does look like Michael Brantley at the plate  at age 24 (his 3rd year).

[IanRubbish]

The Nationals put this out earlier:

Gotta DFA bell and let Lile DH once Crews is up.

Lile's got a pedestrian .311 OBP last 30 days, during which time Bell has an OBP over .400 and an OPS of .860.  Lile's OPS is driven up by three triples.   I don't think he's ahead of Hassell right now, and with Call gone and Wood slumping, somebody somewhere in the lineup needs to take a pitch. 

The OFer who needs to sit is Jacob Young, he's a nice late inning defensive replacement, but should not be starting over Hassell.   

[IanRubbish]

gap to gap liners for doubles. That's his game. It's a small sample (3 weeks), but I think this guy is going to be surprisingly large & positive for this team. I had him written off at the start of the year, but he does look like Michael Brantley at the plate  at age 24 (his 3rd year).

That would be great if he could play D and get into CF.  But he does not have the bat for a corner outfielder or DH.

[imref]

Lile's got a pedestrian .311 OBP last 30 days, during which time Bell has an OBP over .400 and an OPS of .860.  Lile's OPS is driven up by three triples.   I don't think he's ahead of Hassell right now, and with Call gone and Wood slumping, somebody somewhere in the lineup needs to take a pitch. 

The OFer who needs to sit is Jacob Young, he's a nice late inning defensive replacement, but should not be starting over Hassell.   

Who cares what Bell is doing? He's not going to be here next year and it doesn't matter if we win games or not. Use those at bats for Lile to see if he develops.

[IanRubbish]

Who cares what Bell is doing? He's not going to be here next year and it doesn't matter if we win games or not. Use those at bats for Lile to see if he develops.

I'd rather use those ABs on Christian Franklin, who can play D, steal a base, and take a pitch.  Lile can only do one of those three things.

[Slateman]

I'd rather use those ABs on Christian Franklin, who can play D, steal a base, and take a pitch.  Lile can only do one of those three things.

It can be both. Franklin can come up and be the short side platoon bat he is projected to be.

Lile is actually hitting well for a 22 year old. It would be beyond idiotic to send him down now.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Lile's got a pedestrian .311 OBP last 30 days, during which time Bell has an OBP over .400 and an OPS of .860.  Lile's OPS is driven up by three triples.   I don't think he's ahead of Hassell right now, and with Call gone and Wood slumping, somebody somewhere in the lineup needs to take a pitch. 

The OFer who needs to sit is Jacob Young, he's a nice late inning defensive replacement, but should not be starting over Hassell.   

just using his whole season numbers, his obp is .046 above his average,  and xBA is
306. Makes an expected OBP near .350. His xwOBA is .342. That's using whole season and not even cherry picking his hot streak like the since 7/21 X post quoted above. That's a fine hitter. True, he doesn't elevate, but he's had in the neighborhood of 20-25% line drives throughout his time since joining the organization at every level. He keeps Ks down (<17%). I'm ok with a 33% fly ball rate in exchange for liners for a guy with mlb average exit velocity, and I am OK with a 40 or so % groundball rate for a guy with good speed.

That bat needs to play in the majors for this team at least in 2025.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

As for Franklin, the roster I'd like to see going forward would have Wood in left, Franklin platooning with Hassell in right, Crews in CF, and Lile as the DH. I realize that means Young back in Rochester, so maybe that waits until 9/1, or maybe you send Tena down. As for Lowe vs Bell, maybe you have them do a dance off like Starlord and Ronan.

[varoadking]

...Wood in left, Franklin platooning with Hassell in right, Crews in CF, and Lile as the DH...

Good lord...how far we've fallen...

[Slateman]

As for Franklin, the roster I'd like to see going forward would have Wood in left, Franklin platooning with Hassell in right, Crews in CF, and Lile as the DH. I realize that means Young back in Rochester, so maybe that waits until 9/1, or maybe you send Tena down. As for Lowe vs Bell, maybe you have them do a dance off like Starlord and Ronan.

Start giving Wood reps at 1B

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Start giving Wood reps at 1B

bold but maybe there right answer. I think he can play left but this is may be the playing time solution. I think Blue911 pointed out outfield to 1st conversions usually don't work defensively. However, this could upgrade the OF d and it's not like Lowe's been great on d this year,either.