Daylen Lile named finalist for Rawlings Gold Glove

Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile was named one of three finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove award in left field on Wednesday.

Lile, 23, was one of the most improved defenders in Major League Baseball in 2026. He finished the season with two outs above average, according to Statcast (-8 OAA in 2025), and eight defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.com (-14 DRS in 2025). The +22 improvement in defensive runs saved is the fifth-largest improvement in baseball over the two seasons. According to the SABR Defensive Index (SDI), Lile ranked third among National League left fielders with 3.8 runs saved, compared to the averaged defensive player at that position.

Lile recorded a career-high four outfield assists this season: April 18 vs. San Francisco; May 25 at Cleveland; Aug. 2 at Atlanta; Aug. 31 vs. Miami

Offensively, Lile ranked second on the Nationals and fourth among Major League outfielders with a career-high 89 RBI in his first full big-league season. He set career marks in nearly every offensive category, hitting .246 with 28 doubles, eight triples, 22 homers, 89 RBI, 40 walks, 15 stolen bases and 81 runs scored in 160 games. He tied for the team lead with 40 multi-hit games.

Lile looks to become the first Nationals outfielder and third Nationals player (2005-pres.) overall to win a Gold Glove, joining Ryan Zimmerman (3B, 2009) and Adam LaRoche (1B, 2012).

Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 1, on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.

-WSH-