WASHINGTON, D.C. — Daylen Lile of the Washington Nationals is one of three finalists for the National League Gold Glove in left field, a recognition announced Wednesday that caps a sharp defensive turnaround for the 23-year-old.
Lile went from minus 14 defensive runs saved in 2025 to plus 8 this season, a 22-run swing that ranked fifth-best in the majors across those two years. His fielding run value climbed from minus 10 to 2 over the same stretch. He also threw out a career-best four runners from the outfield and finished third among NL left fielders in the SABR Defensive Index at 3.8 runs.
He faces a tough field. Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio is a finalist, as is Chicago’s Ian Happ, who has collected four Gold Gloves in a row and posted 10 defensive runs saved in left this year.
A win would make Lile the first outfielder in Nationals history to earn the award and the franchise’s third winner overall, after third baseman Ryan Zimmerman in 2009 and first baseman Adam LaRoche in 2012. At the plate, he drove in 89 runs with 22 home runs in his first full season. Winners will be revealed Sunday, Nov. 1.
Section: More Washington DC sports news
