Jake Irvin was bad last year. Like, really bad. In 33 games started, the right-hander accumulated negative 0.4 Wins Above Replacement, and his 5.70 ERA was the worst among all qualified pitchers in Major League Baseball. Still, I believe in Jake Irvin. He can be a valuable part of the Nationals' starting rotation moving forward.
Irvin showed some promise in his first two seasons. In 2023, he had a 4.61 ERA in 121 innings pitched, and in 2024, he had a 4.41 ERA in 187 and two-thirds innings pitched. While these results were not electrifying, the right-hander showed that he could be a serviceable Major League starter.