In a season where the Nationals pitching staff was pretty brutal, Brad Lord was a bright spot. The former Home Depot employee stepped up for the Nationals in a variety of roles. However, as we enter 2026,
Lord’s role is still up for debate. As a starter Lord was reliable, but he showed flashes of dominance out of the bullpen.
Lord’s role really depends on what goes on around him. There is so much uncertainty in the Nationals rotation. Cade Cavalli is the only guy I am confident will be in the Nats rotation on Opening Day. Of course, MacKenzie Gore would if he is still around, but that is a big question right now. With free agency and trades on the horizon, a lot can change in the Nats rotation picture.
If it were up to me, Lord would start the season in the bullpen and be an insurance policy in the rotation. He was at his best in a bullpen role this season. In his 29 relief appearances, Lord posted a 2.79 ERA compared to a 4.99 mark as a starter. His stuff just looked sharper in shorter bursts.
To me, a lot of that comes down to his arsenal. Lord is a very fastball reliant pitcher right now. He either threw a 4-seamer or a sinker 66.5% of the time. That is extremely high for a starter. Even though his fastball has great life, it can be overexposed as hitters see it more often. He also lost some steam on that fastball in September as the innings began to pile up.
He certainly showed he can be a starter. Lord had a lot of great moments in the rotation. He had a few blow up starts down the stretch, but he showed a lot of good things. There were moments where he dominated lineups when he could bring his slider into play. An example of that is when he struck out the side against the Cubs.
Finding a consistent secondary pitch has to be Lord’s goal this offseason. The fastball gives him a strong foundation, but there is not much else right now. His slider and changeup are nothing to write home about. However, he has shown an ability to get better over the years. Now that he can focus fully on being an MLB pitcher, instead of working at Home Depot part time, he could show even more improvement.
If Lord can find a real secondary pitch, he would be a good starter. I think a sweeper shape could be interesting for him with his lower arm slot. His changeup also showed flashes, but the consistency was not there. Whatever it is, Lord needs to find a go to secondary pitch to be a good starter.
However, I think he has a home in the bullpen even if he does not find that secondary pitch. His fastball and low arm slot gives hitters a unique look. Not many guys can throw 95-96 with an arm angle that is so low. It is a real weapon for him and gives him a spot in the big leagues.
I will always be rooting for Brad Lord. He was one of my favorite stories of 2025. Seeing the Home Depot employee strike out Shohei Ohtani for his first career strikeout was unreal. It was a true David vs Goliath matchup and David won.
Ideally, Lord starts the season as a Swiss Army Knife reliever. That is what I thought he did best in 2025. He can give you multiple innings if you need it, or he could pitch in higher leverage spots. Teams need versatile arms that can fill a lot of roles. Lord is someone who can do that.
I hope the Nats find a 5 man rotation that does not have Lord to start the year. He can help bolster the bullpen and when injuries hit, Lord can slide seamlessly into the rotation. I am very curious to see how Paul Toboni sees Lord and how he manages pitchers’ innings this season.
It would not surprise me if the Nats used openers more this year. The team is going to embrace analytics more next season and I think that could be one of the ways they do it. I am excited to see all of the creative ways Brad Lord is used in 2026.
