Is It Legit? Daylen Lile's Strong Pro Debut

Lile strung together an impressive Minor League season to begin 2025 in Double-A and Triple-A and earned himself a promotion to the Nationals in late May. The first stint in the Majors did not go well, and Lile returned to Triple-A for a short time.

The Minor League surface numbers are just fine if you pull up his Fangraphs page, but doing so would miss the growth that Lile has had this year. Across 213 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A, Lile hit four home runs and stole 12 bases while slashing .328/.377/.503. He struck out 15.5 percent of the time and walked at just a 6.6 percent clip.

Lile’s numbers in the Majors showed major growth and have plenty of people excited heading into 2026. Were the gains legit?

How Legit Was Daylen Lile’s 2025 Pro Debut?

The Numbers: Daylen Lile Edition

While we referenced the Minor League numbers in the introduction, Lile was extremely impressive in his 351 MLB plate appearances. He hit nine home runs, which was as many as he hit in any previous full season. Lile continued to steal bases, swiping eight bags, but he was caught six times.

The slash line was the most impressive part as Lile slashed .299/.347/.498, and he struck out in just 16 percent of plate appearances. If you want to poke a hole in Lile’s game, you could point to the low number of walks he takes, as he walked at a six percent clip in the Majors.

The results got better as the year went on, however. Lile had an 11-game hit streak over the final month and hits in 22 of his final 26 games. After the All-Star break, Lile slashed .333/.380/.576 with seven home runs, five stolen bases, and ten doubles and triples apiece.

Checkin’ Under the Hood: Daylen Lile

So, is it legit? While the barrel rate of five percent is low, there are a lot of traits to like. The sweet spot percentage of 44 percent is tops in the majors, and Lile consistently squares up balls with a 28.4 percent squared-up rate. The average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were below average, but it is also important to remember he was only 22 years old. The 20 percent air pull rate is at the top of the scale, which allows Lile to really get to power.

While we would like to see a bit more power, Lile hits the ball hard enough when he gets the ball in the air to get to home runs. The launch angles here are elite.

The contact rates outpace the approach, but the contact skills are very strong. Lile ran an in-zone contact rate north of 87 percent in the Majors, which steadily improved all year. The overall contact rate of 81 percent to pair with above-average swing decisions is impressive. While the chase rate did trend upward throughout the season, Lile finished the year with a 26.7 percent chase rate. The zone swing rate was nine percentage points above MLB average as Lile hammered pitches that were in the zone.

With near elite sprint speed, Lile is likely going to be a threat on the base paths for a long time.

Daylen Lile’s 2025 Verdict and Future Outlook

What kind of home run output should you expect from Lile? I think a 15-homer threat with 20 stolen bases is realistic, with room to grow. The hit tool gives Lile a higher floor, and the launch angles are going to lead to consistent production. The .387 xwOBAcon shows that his skills are there, and Lile connects often.

While I typically don’t put a ton of stock in expected stats, seeing a .305 xBA really catches my eye and shows that Lile’s MLB performance was legit. If the power ticks up slightly, Lile becomes very interesting.

The other strength is Lile’s ability to hit all pitch types well. He hammers fastballs, and Lile had an 86 percent contact and a 91 mph average exit velocity against them. The breaking ball contact does take a step back, but he still put up a .308 batting average against them.

For 2026, Lile should hit near the top of an improving Nationals lineup. With a full season of plate appearances, Lile should hit between 12 and 15 home runs and steal somewhere between 15 and 20 bases. The batting average should be north of .275, and while the OBP could be a bit lower due to the low walk rates, Lile is an interesting player who could be valuable in fantasy.