Nationals Former First-Rounder Jackson Rutledge In-Line for Important Role

Something that will get figured out over the course of the spring is how things will shake out for the Washington Nationals when it comes to their bullpen.

After having a disastrous showing in 2025 with the worst ERA in the majors, the front office was able to bring in some new faces to compete with the holdovers from last year. While no true big-named players were added, there could be a noticeable makeover when it comes to the relief staff.

A holdover the Nationals are banking on to be part of their plans, however, is Jackson Rutledge. The 2019 first-round pick was converted into a bullpen arm ahead of this past season. And despite his first year in that role yielding underwhelming results with a 5.77 ERA, he could be in-line for an important role during the 2026 campaign.

Jackson Rutledge Could Be Used as High-Leverage Reliever

Jackson Rutledge of the Washington Nationals | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Washington is still trying to figure out specific roles when it comes to their bullpen. After trading away Jose A. Ferrer -- who was expected to be the team's primary closer -- that key position is up in the air. Clayton Beeter could be the selection, but how they bridge things to reach him is also a puzzle.

Per Talk Nats, the team would like Rutledge to be a high-leverage reliever this season. That was not something he did last year, as he was primarily used in mop-up duty with 58 2/3 of his 73 1/3 total innings coming in what was considered to be low leverage situations.

The #Nats want Jackson Rutledge to be a back-end reliever in hi lev spots. Last night, he threw fastballs, sliders and one splitter for a very quick 1-2-3 inning scoreless inning. If he can get that splitter working as a plus pitch, Rutledge can be that key guy in the bullpen. pic.twitter.com/FjkLFckFCs
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) February 26, 2026

Much of that has to do with his performance. The right-hander was used plenty prior to the All-Star break to see what he could do. But his 6.92 ERA across 32 outings caused the Nationals to deploy him in a different way in the second half.

However, there's a chance Rutledge could be positively impacted by the team's new pitching philosophy that focuses less on throwing fastballs. While he's always going to be fastball-heavy since his arsenal contains a sinker, four-seamer and cutter, his best pitch in terms of Stuff+ is his slider.

Throwing that pitch more often -- he threw it 25.8% of the time in 2025 -- could create better results. And as Washington searches for high-leverage arms who can help close out games for them when they have the lead, Rutledge could find himself in that role if he has a successful spring and start to the upcoming season.

So far, he's done exactly that. He has made two appearances during spring training and has not allowed a run or a hit. He's also struck out two and has walked none. Continuing that trend could help push the former first-round pick into a new role during 2026.