Jackson Rutledge, a right-handed starting pitcher, is set to make his debut in the major leagues for the Washington Nationals on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, as reported by D.C.-area radio host Grant Paulsen.
This decision comes after the Nationals placed left-hander MacKenzie Gore on the injured list due to a blister. Rutledge had previously been scratched from his start over the weekend, indicating the team’s intentions to promote him to the big leagues.
Rutledge, 24, has spent time in both Double-A and Triple-A this season. In a total of 23 starts, he has achieved a 3.71 ERA and a 1.93 strikeout-to-walk ratio. However, he has struggled with his control during his 11 Triple-A starts, averaging 5.3 walks per nine innings. This would be the second-highest walk rate among starting pitchers in the majors, behind only Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres.
According to ball-tracking data, Rutledge primarily relies on a mid-90s sinker and a low-80s slider. It is worth noting that his sinker has characteristics of a “dead zone,” meaning it has similar horizontal and vertical break. Previous studies have shown that such fastballs tend to be easier for batters to track.
Rutledge was originally drafted by the Nationals with the 17th pick in 2019 from San Jacinto College in Houston. Baseball America recently ranked him as the seventh-best prospect in the Nationals’ system in their midseason top-30 rankings update.
