Follow the Prospects: Jackson Rutledge, RHP

[JCA-CrystalCity]

No runs through the first five. Gave up 4 before getting yanked with two outs in the sixth

no walks, which is key. command is his weakness, not stuff, so even a good sign in an outing that ended badly.

he's made 8 starts and thrown 45 innings so far. that's a bit less than half last year's workload (97+ ip over 20 starts). he should get 120 - 130 innings and 30 starts this season. while his k/9 has dropped below 9 this year, his K% has stayed constant because he's getting a lot more outs on contact. babip dropped  from .354 in 2022 to .281. that in turn is due to going from 51% gb to 39%, and fbs going from 29% to 40%. not a big spike hr/9 and a drop in hr/fb.

bottom line numbers? 3.18 era, 3.61 fip 40 ks, 14 bb, in 45.1 ip.

[welch]

Steady as they go. Cavalli, Henry, and Rutledge are still the big three. Henry and Rutledge to show off in Spring Training next year, Cavalli maybe ready to rehab by June or so. Bennett the next wave. And Skenes?

Rizzo is no fool.

[rileyn]

Steady as they go. Cavalli, Henry, and Rutledge are still the big three. Henry and Rutledge to show off in Spring Training next year, Cavalli maybe ready to rehab by June or so. Bennett the next wave. And Skenes?

Rizzo is no fool.

Is that the timeline on Cavalli?  Starts rehab over a year from now?

[Slateman]

Is that the timeline on Cavalli?  Starts rehab over a year from now?

TJS recovery for pitchers is usually about a year. He got his surgery at the end of Spring Training. It would be convient to push some of his rehab starts to later in April, and then bring him up to the MLB level later. Maybe have some innings out of him later in the year ( he will be on an innings count)

[welch]

TJS recovery for pitchers is usually about a year. He got his surgery at the end of Spring Training. It would be convient to push some of his rehab starts to later in April, and then bring him up to the MLB level later. Maybe have some innings out of him later in the year ( he will be on an innings count)

I'm just guessing 18 months on the safe side. That fits Slateman's guess: easing him back with careful supervision, rehab start in the minors, ready late in the season.

[Slateman]

I'm just guessing 18 months on the safe side. That fits Slateman's guess: easing him back with careful supervision, rehab start in the minors, ready late in the season.

Uh .... 18 months is a really long time. Thats second TJS.

Have Cavalli go to extended ST in April, a couple rehab starts in the minors, and with the big league club before Mothers Day

[RD]

I'd expect him back sometime in June '24. He had surgery in late March, so 14 months would be approximately late May. I expect them to be pretty cautious with him considering his importance to the rebuild.

Garrett Crochet had surgery in early March '22, a good 3 weeks before Cavalli. So I'd just look at that as ball park. He returned May 18th. With the extra 3 weeks, plus Cavalli being a starter and an important part of the future, I think they may be a little extra cautious. Hopefully that allows him to pitch through the rest of the year without worrying about an innings limit. Everyone's recovery is different though, so we'll see how it goes.

[imref]

Another solid start. 5IP, 3H, 2BB, 4Ks, 1ER

[imref]

Picked up the win last night: 6IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 6K, HBP

Starting to think he's next in line when we need to call up a starter.

[imref]

Promoted to Rochester!!!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/06/28/lane-thomas-nationals-mariners/

Note: The Nationals promoted 2019 first-round pick Jackson Rutledge from Class AA Harrisburg to Class AAA Rochester, a person familiar with the situation confirmed. Rutledge, 24, ended last season with low Class A Fredericksburg but leapfrogged high Class A Wilmington and started the season with Harrisburg. There, he had a 3.16 ERA over 12 games with the Senators. Now Rutledge finds himself one step away from the majors.

He's on the 40 man roster already, so I could see some spot starts when they need it for Gore or Irvin.  Also, if Williams or Corbin (hah!) are dealt, he may be ready to slot into the rotation. OTOH, we'll know more in a month after seeing how he does in AAA.

I'm excited about him. His curve looked when he pitched in the AFL, and it sounds like things have really come together for him this year. 2.5 K:BB ratio, 8.2 K/9. BB rate is acceptable (3.3 /9), which is a carryover from last year at A+. Maybe it is a function of the Eastern league, but he's more of a FB pitcher than in the past, which he's his WHIP. HR rate did not explode.  Let's see what he does in AAA.

Also, it may have been a function of Millas for a while, but he has more caught stealings than SBs against. Given Ruiz and the MLB staff's inability to control the running game, that's a nice feature.

6'8", 251 lbs. that's one large dude.

[Slateman]

I would really, really like to skip Gore or Gray a couple times, if possible. Looking at Irvin's resurgence after being skipped, I think it would be good for them

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I would really, really like to skip Gore or Gray a couple times, if possible. Looking at Irvin's resurgence after being skipped, I think it would be good for them

IT might be good for Gray, but I was more thinking of innings limits for guys who missed substantial time last season, which is why I mentioned Irvin and Gore.

At one point before the season, we had talked about whether a 6 man rotation would be good this year. At that point, we might have been thinking about Strasburg coming back and not sure about  Gore and others. More generally, I think a nice way to manage starters is to have a #6 come in for 5-8 starts, spotting in extra rest when we get these 16 game stretches or when a paid vacation / off day / throwing on the side would benefit the top of the rotation. It's tough to do because a replacement guy is not going to pitch at a #1/#2 level, but it's probably long-term beneficial.

[UMDNats]

Could we bake in a skipped start or two around the All-Star break? Feel like you would just need a 6th starter for like 2-3 starts and could schedule it out enough to give Gore like 2-3 weeks off.

[Slateman]

Could we bake in a skipped start or two around the All-Star break? Feel like you would just need a 6th starter for like 2-3 starts and could schedule it out enough to give Gore like 2-3 weeks off.

I'd like to see it. Frankly, I think Gray needs it now. Give him a turn through the rotation to work on some mechanical things and refine this new sweeper

[imref]

Rough debut at Rochester: 3⅔ IP, 2H, 5R, 5ER, 6BB, 3K, HR

[Natsinpwc]

Good start. 5.1 innings with 3 hits and 0 runs. Just one K. And 3 BBs. Give him July and bring him up in August for a few starts.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Jackson Rutledge, the Nationals’ 2019 first-round pick, is on the rise

By Andrew Golden

Lot's of interesting stuff in the linked article, including how the past 2 years put him on the cusp of the majors by finally being healthy.

“In order to pitch, you’ve got to be able to pitch,” Rutledge said last month. “So for me, not only really making every start, but getting deep in every start, no matter what happens … just being a sort of a workhorse in the rotation is kind of what I pride myself on. That’s the goal I want to have as somebody who gets deep into every game and keeps it competitive every game gets us a chance.”

Golden notes there will be an opportunity for starts later in the year as the Nats limit workloads for Gore, Gray, and Irvin.

Discusses his preparation.

He keeps track of all of it using a new addition to his routine — a notebook that has a dual purpose. Before a start, he likes to take data from pregame scouting reports and translate it as he heads into a game. He can refer to the notebook in between innings and add information as the game progresses. He also uses the notebook when he throws between starts. He wants to remember how he felt working on pitches and what he did during those sessions. He started this habit in the offseason after a few coaches recommended it, and now encourages other teammates to do the same.

Mentions how he started this offseason to try to develop a cutter to get in on lefty hitters hands, but it was acting like a slider that could not be used that way.  The pitch morfed into a refined slider he now uses against righties. while his old slider is now has more of a curveball action he can use against lefties along with a better commanded fastball.

“His breaking stuff, his curveball and slider, have both improved,” said De Jon Watson, the team’s director of player development. “And it’s really about the location and execution and really understanding where you are in that sequence of pitches. And I think that’s what he’s doing best, man. He’s understanding what he is and what the hitters are telling him and he’s trying to execute off that information that he’s gaining.”

[Slateman]

Good start. 5.1 innings with 3 hits and 0 runs. Just one K. And 3 BBs. Give him July and bring him up in August for a few starts.

3 walks is better. Guess we see how he adjusts to the new ball

[Natsinpwc]

A little hope is good.  Good to see him healthy.

[Slateman]

A little hope is good.  Good to see him healthy.

Yep. This is what he needed

[UMDNats]

“In order to pitch, you’ve got to be able to pitch,” Rutledge Yogi Berra said last month.

[welch]

"When you pitch to Willie Mays in the 7th, you have to think of how you will pitch to Willie in the 9th". Rutledge merely substitutes 5th and 7th, to fit to "modern" baseball.

[imref]

removed after 3 IP tonight (76 pitches). 4H, 2BB, 3Ks, 2ER

[Mattionals]

removed after 3 IP tonight (76 pitches). 4H, 2BB, 3Ks, 2ER

Not terrible on the stat line, but that is a ton of pitches for only 3 IP. Smart decision to lift him.