Is New Role with Washington Nationals the Best Fit for Jake Irvin?

Maybe the most pressing question about the Washington Nationals ahead of a potential offseason to fix the roster holes through free agency is how president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and the front office address the rotation in 2027.

The Nationals' rotation ranked 20th across baseball with a 4.37 ERA and 19th with a 1.31 WHIP in a troubling 2026 season, though that doesn't account for a subpar bullpen that comfortably set the MLB record for the most blown saves.

Washington made a handful of in-season moves, including dealing rookie Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians just prior to the deadline. Yet that also includes moving on from other struggling veterans like Miles Mikolas and Zack Littell, who both eclipsed 112 innings pitched and a 4.97 ERA. Andrew Alvarez played a notable role in the rotation after joining Cavalli and Griffin as the two pitchers to pitch at least 110 innings with an ERA under 4.00 in 2026.

Yet the Nationals also saw plenty out of Jake Irvin in 2026 after posting a 5.48 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 20 starts, owning a 2-10 record as one of six Nationals starters to eclipse 100 innings pitched.

Yet Irvin lasted six innings in just two starts in 2026, while he allowed at least one earned run in each of his last six starts. That includes four starts with at least four earned runs allowed over the same span.

2026 also marked the second consecutive season Irvin that eclipsed a 5.00 ERA, while his 16.7 win percentage marked a career low for Irvin, who now sits 24-44 across 110 career starts in four seasons. Irvin also saw his season derailed after being placed on the 60 day injured list due to a right shoulder strain, yet came back and struggled to turn the page. His Aug. 12 start against the Chicago Cubs ended after tossing 88 pitches in just 3.1 innings, the most pitch thrown by a Nationals pitcher in fewer than four outings since MacKenzie Gore -- now with the Texas Rangers -- back in May 2025.

Whether he gets another crack at a spot in the rotation is the biggest question for Irvin, whose four seamer anchors his five pitch arsenal. The Nationals turned to Irvin for his bullpen debut on Sept. 13 in what could preview his fit on the pitching staff in 2027. 

Irvin is among the pitchers who enter the offseason arbitration eligible, adding a chance for the Nationals to finalize his potential fit with Simon Matthews looking to turn around his unit's results in year two. Yet after struggling to produce lasting quality performances, a new role to the bullpen may be how Irvin adds value to the 2027 roster.