Brad Lord's path to MLB has not been anything but standard.
The former 18th round pick in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft made the Washington Nationals' Opening Day roster on Wednesday, according to reports, just a few months after he spent the winter working at his local Home Depot.
Lord, who, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, worked for Home Depot moving mulch and Christmas trees this past winter, is set to feature in Washington's bullpen to start the 2025 MLB season after an impressive season in the minors in 2024.
In order to make some money during baseball offseasons, Lord has worked some pretty standard, non-baseball related jobs. In addition to Home Depot, he spent the previous winter working at Publix, all the while continuing to hone his craft on the mound.
Last year, playing at A+, Double-A and Triple-A, Lord made 25 starts and recorded a 2.78 ERA with 135 strikeouts across 129 2/3 innings. This spring, he struggled to the tune of a 6.08 ERA in nine relief appearances, but it wasn't enough to dissuade the Nationals from carrying him on the roster to start the season.
Now, the Talahassee, Fla. native is officially a big-leaguer at the age of 25, less than three years after he was selected with the No. 531 pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of South Florida.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Home Depot Employee Makes Nationals Opening Day Roster.