Andry Lara Bio
Andry José Lara is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed thrower, he came up through the Nationals’ international signing pipeline and made his MLB debut in 2025. He was added to the club’s 40-man roster in late 2024 and has split time between Washington and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.
Born on January 6, 2003, Lara signed with the Nationals as one of the top international amateur pitchers of his class. He has worked his way through the rookie, Low-A, High-A, and Double-A levels, projecting as a potential starting pitcher at the top of a major league rotation.
Early Life and Background
Andry José Lara grew up in Venezuela and developed his game at the Zulia Academy as an amateur. He overcame knee problems as a youth and added considerable velocity as he matured physically. By the age of 16, his fastball was already reaching 96 miles per hour, drawing early attention from international scouting departments.
His combination of size, arm strength, and pitchability marked him as a premium prospect in his age group. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the sixteenth-best prospect in the 2019 international amateur free agent class and the best overall pitcher in that class. His rapid physical development and clean mechanics gave scouts confidence that his best baseball was still ahead of him.
Path to Professional Baseball
Lara’s path to professional baseball moved quickly once he became eligible to sign. On July 2, 2019, the Washington Nationals signed him for a reported $1.25 million bonus, making him the organization’s top international signee for that signing period. He did not appear for the Nationals in 2019 and did not play in a game in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Lara made his professional debut and moved during the minor league season from the rookie-level Florida Complex League Nationals to the Low-A Fredericksburg Nationals. He worked primarily as a starting pitcher during that first professional campaign, laying the foundation for the role he would hold at every subsequent level of the minors.
Andry Lara Career
Early Career (2021-2022)
Lara opened his professional career in 2021 by splitting time between the Florida Complex League Nationals and Low-A Fredericksburg. The assignment gave him a chance to adjust to the rigors of a full professional schedule while learning to hold his velocity deep into starts. By the end of the year he had established himself as a starter the organization could build around.
In 2022, Lara made 23 starts for Single-A Fredericksburg and compiled a 3-8 record with a 5.51 ERA. He recorded 105 strikeouts across 101 and one-third innings pitched, showing swing-and-miss ability even as his team struggled to win behind him. The workload confirmed his durability and gave him a full season of experience against older Low-A competition.
High-A and Double-A Development (2023-2024)
Lara spent the 2023 season with the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks. He made 23 starts for the club and posted a 6-8 record with a 4.58 ERA, striking out 66 batters across 98 and one-third innings pitched. The Wilmington season tested his consistency against more advanced hitters and helped him refine his secondary stuff.
Lara’s 2024 campaign was his most complete minor league season. He split the year between Wilmington and the Double-A Harrisburg Senators and compiled an 11-11 record with a 3.34 ERA. He logged 132 strikeouts across 134 and two-thirds innings pitched over 25 starts, demonstrating that his arm could handle a full Double-A workload. On November 19, 2024, the Nationals added Lara to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, signaling that he was on the organization’s major league radar.
Washington Nationals Era (2025-Present)
Lara was optioned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings to begin the 2025 season. On April 20, 2025, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time as the 27th man for a Washington doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies. He did not appear in either game of that doubleheader and was optioned back to Rochester the following day, technically becoming a phantom ballplayer.
On July 2, Lara was promoted to the major leagues for a second time and made his MLB debut. In nine appearances for Washington, he struggled to an 8.79 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 14 and one-third innings pitched. The debut season showed flashes of his mid-90s fastball but also the growing pains that come with a first big league exposure. On January 20, 2026, Lara was designated for assignment by the Nationals following the acquisition of Mickey Gasper, and he later cleared waivers and was sent outright to Rochester on January 27.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lara is right-handed and was described by MLB Pipeline at the time of his signing as a potential future frontline starter. He features a two-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and complements it with a breaking ball and a changeup. The combination of velocity, pitch shape, and a usable third offering is what has kept him in the picture as a starting pitcher at every level of the minors.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Lara’s most notable milestones is his $1.25 million signing with the Nationals on July 2, 2019, which made him the organization’s top international signee for that period. He made his MLB debut on July 2, 2025, exactly six years after signing with Washington. His addition to the 40-man roster in November 2024 was another key step, as it shielded him from the Rule 5 draft and confirmed that the club viewed him as part of its long-term plans.
Andry Lara Career Wins
Andry Lara has notched meaningful wins at several minor league levels on his way to the majors, though he has yet to record a major league decision. His win totals have grown as he has faced tougher competition, peaking during his 2024 split between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg.
Minor League Highlights
Lara’s most productive win total came in 2024, when he went 11-11 with a 3.34 ERA across 25 starts split between Wilmington and Harrisburg. He added 6 wins for High-A Wilmington in 2023 and 3 wins for Single-A Fredericksburg in 2022, giving him 20 documented minor league victories across his first four professional seasons. His first full season of professional ball came in 2021, when he advanced from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Fredericksburg.
Other Performances
Beyond his win-loss record, Lara has consistently posted strong strikeout totals relative to his innings. He fanned 105 batters in 2022, 66 in 2023, and 132 in 2024, underlining the swing-and-miss profile that originally drew scouts to him in Venezuela.
Andry Lara Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Andry José Lara developed his game at the Zulia Academy in Venezuela as an amateur, an environment that has produced several professional pitchers in recent years. His rise through that academy shaped his early mechanics and helped him add the velocity that put him on the international scouting map.
Personal Life
Lara keeps his personal life largely out of public view, and verified details about his immediate family are limited. He was born in Venezuela and continues his baseball development within the Washington Nationals organization, with most of his time spent in the club’s minor league cities and in the Washington, D.C. area during major league stints.
2025 Season Performance
Lara’s 2025 season was defined by his long-awaited MLB debut and the adjustments that followed. He began the year at Triple-A Rochester before earning his first major league call-up as the 27th man for a doubleheader on April 20. After that phantom promotion, he returned to Rochester and continued building innings until a second call-up on July 2 led to his actual debut.
Across nine major league appearances, Lara posted an 8.79 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 14 and one-third innings, a small sample that reflected both the difficulty of facing big league hitters and the learning curve that comes with a first major league exposure. The performance gave the Nationals and Lara himself a clearer picture of what he still needs to refine before locking down a permanent rotation spot.
Heading into the next chapter, Lara was designated for assignment in January 2026 following the acquisition of Mickey Gasper, cleared waivers, and was outrighted back to Rochester on January 27. The move keeps him within the Washington organization and gives him a chance to reset, refine his secondary pitches, and push for another opportunity at the major league level.