Chris Klein, assistant general manager and vice president of scouting operations for the Nationals, told reporters after Washington selected high school outfielder Dalen Lyle from Trinity HS in the second round of the 2021 draft. Everyone thought he was the best high school hitter in the draft.” Louisville, Kentucky.
“Kentucky’s 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year, and he was this year’s National Player of the Year,” Klein continued, providing a scouting report on the now-20-year-old left-handed hitter.
“Other tools are average. He’s going to play left field, but with this kid it’s all about the bat. Advanced, sophisticated. [Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting] mark [Baca] Described as “clean”. Neat, nice, quick little strokes, short and fast, he has power and exceptional feel. ”
“I think the first time we walked in the ballpark, you get a BP, right? So I just stood there and watched his swing and saw the basics of the swing and I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was,” Baka added of his first impression. of Lyle as we watched him play for the ’21 draft. “I can’t wait to see the electricity coming out of this guy’s bat if he takes it to a game.” And it didn’t take long. Perhaps when he first swung in the game, you knew you were doing something really special with this swing.The bat, and the bat speed, the leverage he has, the potential he has. Power, it didn’t take long. It was a really, really short, no space, compact, really good swing, so one of the better swings I’ve seen here. It’s a great swing and will hit the kid you knew.”
Lyle played 19 games in the Nats’ system in 2021, but then suffered a tear in the UCL and had Tommy John surgery that cost him all of his 2022 campaign. Lyle was ranked 16th in the organization by MLB’s Pipeline Scouts. Paige Leckie of MLB.com said. He was excited to be back in West Palm Beach, Florida this year.
“I’m especially happy to be back here. [after] I missed the whole season,” Lille said last week.
“in short, [it was] “It’s devastating,” he added of the injury and recovery time. “But it helped me work on the right body parts so I could come back here and have a healthy season.”
When Victor Robles suffered a bruise on his left knee when he was given the opportunity to play in a Grapefruit League game on Wednesday afternoon, [a pipe behind?] Outfield wall in Lakeland, Florida Publics Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lyle maximized his shot with a 3-for-4 day at bat, stolen bases and dives in the outfield, all of which drew attention . nuts manager.
“Great guy. Great,” Martinez said. In the words of MASN’s Bobby Blanco When asked about Lyle’s big game. “Kidd gets a chance to play and shows all the tools. He played good fielding, hit bases, stole bases, ran bases well.” So he did a great job.”
Unfortunately, the opportunity came with an injury to Robles, but while the news in center field wasn’t too bad, it didn’t sound great either.
“He hit a pipe behind a wall. He’s probably living a normal life,” Martinez retold as quoted by MASN.
“Everything else is good. When I hit the wall, there was a pipe behind the wall and I hit it with my knee. So I have a bruise on my knee cap. Everything else checked out fine. So just It’s a bruise.”
