NL East Rival Claims Former Nationals First-Rounder Jackson Rutledge Off Waivers
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Washington Nationals fans are hoping their new batch of top prospects will turn out to be better than their previous ones.
The previous front office regime did not do a good job of drafting and developing. That is a major reason why this franchise has struggled for so long after they won the World Series in 2019. And it's why new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is so focused on revamping this pipeline.
A poster child for the lack of drafting and developing success was Jackson Rutledge, the team's first-round pick in 2019. He struggled so much at the big league level that the Nationals decided to part ways with him on May 5 when they designated him for assignment. Now, the right-hander has found a new home within the division after he was claimed off waivers.
Phillies Claim Jackson Rutledge Off Waivers
Per an announcement made by the Philadelphia Phillies, they revealed they claimed Rutledge off waivers and sent him to their Triple-A affiliate. While Washington fans might not be too upset about the loss of the right-hander due to his struggles, it's still not ideal to see him land with a division rival.
This is also the second time a pitcher who the Nationals parted ways with has landed in the NL East. Previously, it was left-hander Cionel Perez, who inked a minor league deal with the New York Mets after he refused to be outrighted to Triple-A Rochester by Washington. Now, it's Rutledge who follows suit, although his circumstance is different since he was claimed off waivers.
Can Jackson Rutledge's Career Be Ressurected?
The worst-case scenario is if the Phillies are able to figure something out with Rutledge that allows him to tap into his former first-round potential. And there's a chance that could happen since Philadelphia is one of the best organizations when it comes to pitching development, so how everything plays out regarding the right-hander will be something to keep an eye on.
The 27-year-old has a mid-90 mph four-seamer and sinker in his arsenal. He pairs that with a splitter, cutter and slider. Per TJStats, his Stuff+ in the majors is actually above the league average, which means he has the ability to be effective. However, the issue for Rutledge is that he's never been able to miss enough bats with a chase and whiff rate of 27.8% and 25.6%, respectively. His strikeout rate of 19% is not good enough as a reliever, and he also has major issues with his command, which is a reason why the above statistics are so poor.
If the Phillies are able to get things to click for Rutledge, that would be a huge win for them. But until that actually happens, Nationals fans shouldn't be worried that their former first-round pick will be starring for a division rival.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai