Jackson Kent Makes MLB Debut with Washington Nationals
Arizona Athletics
8/13/2026
WASHINGTON D.C. — Former Arizona Baseball standout Jackson Kent made his Major League debut with the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night and in doing so became the 96th Wildcat in MLB history.
Kent, a left-handed pitcher, played at Arizona from 2022–24 before earning a fourth round selection by the Nationals in the 2024 MLB Draft.
In his debut, Kent pitched four innings and allowed three runs on three hits while striking out six. He did not factor into the decision. Kent struck out three batters in his first inning of work in front of 40-plus family members in attendance.
Across two year in the Nationals minor league system, Kent posted impressive numbers to earn his call-up — in 44 games (all starts) the southpaw posted a 4.22 ERA, surrendered just 188 hits, and struck out 237 while issuing just 68 walks.
Prior to his MLB debut, Kent made 13 starts for Triple-A Rochester and went 8-3 with 67 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work.
From 2022–24, Kent made 33 appearances for the Wildcats (19 starts), and posted a 4.61 ERA with 122 strikeouts. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2024 as the Wildcats Friday night starting pitcher and earned Pac-12 All-Conference honors along the way.
Kent was a vital piece of the Arizona pitching staff that helped lead the team to the Pac-12 regular season and tournament championships.
