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New Nationals Ace? Brad Lord is Certainly Making the Case by Noah Kravitz

    Despite earning an All-Star nod and carrying a 3.02 ERA in the first half, MacKenzie Gore is no longer the Washington Nationals' ace. That distinction now belongs to an unexpected name — former 18th round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft Brad Lord.
    
Brad Lord has been a feel-good story for Washington this year.


    In a season where the Nationals have suffered so much on the negative side, it should be appropriate to acknowledge some of the positives out of this season so far. The 25-year-old right-hander is definitely one of those. Lord was moved back into the starting rotation after the Michael Soroka trade to the Chicago Cubs. In his last four outings, Lord recorded an ERA under 3, a WHIP just over 1, and a very impressive 14:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of his last 20-25 innings pitched. 

    Lord delivered one of his strongest performances of the season last Saturday at Oracle Park against the Giants. He earned his third victory allowing just one run and four hits over in a span of 6 innings. Interim Manager Miguel Cairo has 'praised the Lord' for his recent successes, describing how he's a guy you want on your team. "He's a hard worker. He knows how to pitch. He knows how to attack the strike zone. He believes in the stuff that he has," Cairo said when asked about how Brad Lord has been able to find his stride recently. 

     In an otherwise difficult season for Washington, Lord has been an unexpected bright spot and is positioning himself as a possible cornerstone for their future pitching staff. He has an extremely effective fastball that he's been able to use to strikeout hitters. Him and Gore have powerful strikeout pitches this season. Other guys like Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker have shown some promise but have also taken significant steps back this season. Still, in a rotation with ups and downs, Brad Lord has emerged as the steady, reliable arm the Nationals can count on every fifth day he takes the bump. 

    While we're sure fans are appreciative of the contributions from a player like Lord, it's important that we get to see someone else step up. One man cannot do it as we all know in today's game. At this point, it's not just about numbers, it's about proving this rotation can hold its own when the games matter most. 
    
    It might not be the best thing in the world to see losing baseball, when other teams are grinding it out to make the postseason. But for the Nationals, this final stretch is an opportunity to build a stronger foundation in an effort to give young players valuable reps. More importantly, it’s about assessing potential core pieces and giving emerging arms like Brad Lord, MacKenzie Gore, and others the confidence and experience they’ll need to anchor the next competitive window. 

     Even though that opening might not start immediately, every inning now serves as an investment into the success of this team in the future.

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