Follow the Prospects: Jackson Kent, LHP

[imref]

DoB: 02/10/2003
6'3", 219lbs
B/T: L/L
Drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2024 (4th round, 108th overall)

mlb.com scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Kent was a two-sport standout at his Illinois high school, playing wide receiver, quarterback and punting for three years while pitching varsity for four years and attracting the attention of the University of Arizona. He redshirted his freshman year in 2022, then worked mostly as a reliever in his first collegiate action, racking up 41 innings. His excellent performance as a starter in the Cape Cod League served notice that he might be ready to jump on the Draft map this spring, and he did just that serving as a very effective Friday night starter for the Wildcats. The Nationals selected him in the fourth round and signed him for $625,000.

An athletic 6-foot-3 left-hander, Kent can come at hitters with as many as five pitches. He is throwing his fastball a tick harder these days. After averaging around 89 mph last year and over the summer, he sat comfortably in the low 90s and touching 95 this spring. His go-to secondary pitch is his changeup that generates both swings-and-misses and ground-ball contact. He has both a low-80s slider and a mid-70s curve, with the former missing more bats, and he also folds in a cutter that is often similar to the slider.

While Kent was effective on the Cape, he did struggle with consistent strike-throwing. He improved that considerably this spring while handling the pressures of being the team ace. His ceiling might be somewhat limited without plus stuff, but if the gains he’s shown this year are real, he has the kind of starting pitching traits from the left side that many teams covet.

[imref]

Currently assigned to the FCL

[Section214]

Starting strong in Wilmington. 13.2 IP over 3 starts, 19/4 K/BB 1.32 ERA .87 WHIP. Someone to keep an eye on.

[imref]

7IP today, 3H, 1ER, 1BB, 5Ks.

[nobleisthyname]

Age: 22
Team rank: 20
Current level: A+

April recap

W-L

|

IP

|

GS

|

ERA

|

FIP

|

SO

|

BB

|

K%

|

BB%

|

WHIP

2-3

|

24.2

|

5

|

4.01

|

3.88

|

30

|

6

|

29.4%

|

5.9%

|

1.05

[imref]

Solid tonight: 7.2IP, 5H, 2ER, 1BB, 11Ks

[zimm_da_kid]

6.1 innings today.

6 hits, 4 Ks, 2 BBs, 3 ER.

ERA at 3.68 now

[imref]

[IanRubbish]

We'll see what happens in AA, but we need more prospects like this who don't throw a ball four every inning, and average over 5 innings per start.  As a 4th rounder, he also comes from the part of the draft where we begin to see real starters, as opposed to the high round flame throwers who all flame out.