Jackson Kent’s 2026 season was a mixed bag from start to finish. He showed enough to keep the long-term picture interesting, but he also made it clear he still has work to do before anyone can count on him as a big league rotation piece.
The left-hander came into the year as a name worth tracking after flashing some real promise in his first pro season. Even with a 4.61 ERA across two levels, Kent punched out 25.9% of hitters and walked just 7.5%. The changeup already stood out, but the big question was whether he could add more velocity.
He answered that part of the challenge. Kent’s fastball jumped from the low-90’s to the mid-90’s, and the added life helped him roll through Double-A hitters. In 30.2 innings there, he put up a 2.35 ERA with 38 strikeouts before getting moved up to Rochester after seven starts.
The next stop was more of the same in some ways, and less in others. Kent kept missing bats and limiting walks better than you might expect, but the results weren’t as clean.
He finished with a 4.38 ERA in Rochester and had some rough blowup outings mixed in. The underlying numbers were better than the ERA, but he still wasn’t exactly overpowering the level.
Kent’s pitch mix gives him a chance. He works with five pitches, leaning most on his four-seamer, slider and changeup.
The fastball sits around 93 mph, but it has enough life to play up. The changeup is the real weapon, a tumbling pitch that draws plenty of chase and whiffs.
The problem is that so much of his game depends on hitters expanding the zone.
That approach became a bigger issue in the majors. His zone rate was already below average in AAA, but it got worse once he reached the big leagues.
Kent threw strikes only 42.7% of the time, which placed him in the 15th percentile. He still got hitters to chase, but too many pitches missed the zone, and that led to a pile of walks.
The numbers were ugly there: 25 free passes in 36.1 MLB innings, a 14.7% walk rate. That is a tough number to carry at any level, and especially in the majors. Without elite stuff, Kent seemed to be nibbling too much against big league hitters, and those hitters were far less likely than minor leaguers to swing at pitches off the plate.
For Kent to get where Washington thinks he can go, that has to change. He needs to find a way to land more pitches in the zone without giving up too much hard contact. There were stretches where his command was scattered, especially early on, but the bigger issue looked like hesitation - a pitcher not fully trusting himself to attack.
That leaves him with a few possible paths forward. Better command, a different pitch mix, or even more velocity could all help.
But whatever the answer is, he’ll need it once he gets another shot in the majors. He probably won’t break camp on the big league roster, but when an opening comes, he should be one of the first names considered.
There is still a lot to like. Kent’s changeup and ground-ball ability give him a real route to being useful.
He’s a funky lefty with good extension and enough stuff to interest teams. But after a 5.94 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP, he has to clean things up before he can be trusted in a full-time role.
He did have at least one outing that showed the blueprint. At home against the Marlins, Kent worked seven strong innings and kept Miami uncomfortable all night, leaning on soft contact and staying ahead of hitters. That’s the version Washington wants to see more often.
The formula is pretty clear from here: quick ground outs, less hard contact, and better use of the changeup when he gets to two strikes. Most of all, he needs to trust his stuff more. His first taste of the majors was inefficient and walk-heavy, and that kept him from showing he could handle a regular starting job.
At 23, he still has time. But this season made one thing plain - he is not ready to be handed a permanent spot yet.
The Nationals need more starting pitching, and Kent needs more development in the minors. He could absolutely matter down the line, just not quite yet.
The next step will be interesting to watch in 2027.
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