Jackson Kent shows promise in major league debut as Nationals drop series to Cubs

Nothing about the Nationals’ Jackson Kent’s debut proved to be easy.

Kent, an Illinois native, faced the team he grew up rooting for, and the Cubs feast on left-handed pitching. Entering Wednesday, they had posted the highest on-base percentage (.357), slugging percentage (.449) and weighted runs created plus (124) against lefties in the major leagues.

Add in that the first inning saw Kent deal with runners on first and second with one out, and there were a lot of challenges the 23-year-old had to encounter in his debut. No pressure, Kent.

But the lefty wasn’t overwhelmed. He didn’t wilt in the adverse situation. After a brief mound visit by pitching coach Simon Mathews, he regained his composure and struck out Carson Kelly and Michael Busch to end the inning.

Even on a day when he said he had his “‘C’ stuff,” Kent mustered enough velocity to strike out six batters and deftly navigate traffic on the bases.

“It’s just going back to what I’ve been doing the whole year,” Kent said. “It’s just staying calm under pressure and making one pitch at a time.”

A lot of pitching is about responding to adversity. Some players crumble after allowing a base hit or can’t execute with traffic on the bases. But the good starters can carve out long major league careers. Kent showed both promise and warts in his debut, a 12-6 loss to the Cubs at Nationals Park.

“What I got told here was it was just another game,” Kent said. “It’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. Don’t need to change anything. It was cool to play against the hometown team that I grew up watching and going to games.”

He allowed three runs on three hits, with five walks. He pitched into the fifth but was pulled after allowing a single, a walk and an RBI double to All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. As he left the mound, both Nationals and Cubs fans rose to give him a standing ovation.

Jake Bird entered the game and induced a lineout, but he gave up a three-run homer to Alex Bregman that allowed the Cubs to take a 4-1 lead. The Nationals answered in the bottom of the inning with timely baserunning and clutch at-bats. But left-hander Tom Cosgrove struggled as the Cubs surged in front during a five-run sixth.

Kent knew in the preceding weeks that he was likely going to be making his major league debut because he was skipping starts at Triple-A. But running to the mound to get ready for his first start was when the reality hit him.

“I was impressed by Jackson,” manager Blake Butera said. “I thought he threw the ball well, and as we’ve seen, this isn’t an easy lineup to navigate. Obviously, [he was] dealing with some nerves, some excitement, a lot of family here too, which was awesome for him.”

If there was one negative, it was that Kent constantly fell behind hitters because he struggled to locate the heater. He got behind 1-0 on 15 of the 19 batters he faced. He struggled to be in the strike zone, which isn’t uncommon for younger pitchers. Kent leaned on his four-seamer (44%), slider (24%) and changeup (22%). He got the most swing and miss on the changeup.

But striking out Crow-Armstrong was no small feat for Kent. His fearlessness from the minors translated to the majors. In the fourth, he allowed a leadoff single to Busch. But he induced a double play and struck out Tyrone Taylor to end the inning. Kent’s strikeout ability was why Butera said he “showed a lot of promise.”

“The ability that he showed to limit the damage and still make some big pitches for us was awesome,” Butera said.

Kent was the 31st starting pitcher originally signed or drafted by the Nationals (59-63) to start a game for the club since 2005, a paltry amount that shows the franchise’s inability to develop pitching. But the new regime under president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has restructured the pitching department.

Limiting walks, missing bats and forcing difficult swing decisions are organizational pillars for pitching development. The Nationals also place a heavy emphasis on helping pitchers add velocity.

Kent was an early adopter of their teachings. His buy-in helped spur his quick ascent throughout the minors as the added velocity on his fastball allowed his other pitches to play up.

“He’s great to compete with,” said catcher Harry Ford, who caught Kent at Triple-A Rochester. “He’s not a guy you have to worry about if he’s going to be in there or not.”

The best franchises develop pitching. It’s what allows organizations such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays to be successful year after year.

The Nationals have seen gains with their hitting development. Now Kent is their first pitcher to reach the majors. His emotions were overflowing after Wednesday’s start, with around 40 friends and family in the stands. With the adrenaline still pumping, Kent was already anticipating his next outing.

“I want to get back out there already,” Kent said. “I want to learn and, coming up to the next start, I’m just excited to get ready and get back out there.”

This article has been updated.