Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

After starring in both baseball and football back home in Illinois, Kent headed to the University of Arizona, where he redshirted in 2022 and worked as a reliever in 2023. He headed to the Cape Cod League that summer and put himself squarely on the radar with a 2.52 ERA and 27 strikeouts in six starts (25 innings). The Wildcats made Kent their Friday night starter, and he handled himself well with the elevated role, posting a 4.08 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 86 frames. The Nationals selected him in the fourth round and signed him to a $625,000 bonus.

The 6-foot-3 southpaw has a full bevy of pitches that can leave hitters guessing. He bumped up his fastball velocity ahead of the Draft to sit 90-93 mph, and he touched as high as 96. The pitch can play better than the velo too with a flat approach from a lower angle in his delivery. Kent’s 82-84 mph changeup is his most effective offering – one that works well down and armside leading to whiffs and groundballs. He has two different breaking pitches in a low-80s slider and mid-70s curve. The former was slightly more effective at missing bats in school, but the latter can drop in for an easy strike too.

Kent had some control issues on the Cape but was much better at sticking to the zone with the Wildcats in the spring. With only one year as a starter against quality competition under his belt, Kent could keep building on his 2024 gains, but even if he’s capped at being a hurler with a deep arsenal but no true plus pitch, that could still work in the back of future MLB rotations.

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.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

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’s done just that serving as a very effective Friday night starter for the Wildcats.

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’s been sitting comfortably in the low 90s and touching 95 this spring. His go-to secondary pitch is his changeup, which 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’s 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.

Awards

SAL Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
04/13/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/12/2025	LHP Jackson Kent assigned to Harrisburg Senators from Wilmington Blue Rocks.
	04/02/2025	LHP Jackson Kent assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks from FCL Nationals.
	03/06/2025	activated LHP Jackson Kent.
	08/05/2024	LHP Jackson Kent assigned to FCL Nationals.
	07/24/2024	Washington Nationals signed LHP Jackson Kent.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated LHP Jackson Kent.
	03/06/2024	LHP Jackson Kent assigned to Arizona Wildcats.
	06/09/2023	Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox activated LHP Jackson Kent.
	02/03/2023	LHP Jackson Kent assigned to Arizona Wildcats.
	02/03/2022	LHP Jackson Kent and assigned to Arizona Wildcats.