Our Darren ‘Doogie’ Wolfson caught up earlier this winter with Bloomington native and Washington Nationals starter Jake Irvin.

Irvin made his major league debut last year, and will compete starting this week at Nationals spring training for a regular spot in the starting rotation.

***Click the video box above to watch our entire conversation with Irvin and to see him in action***

After making his major league debut last May, Irvin made 24 starts, posting a 4.61 ERA and a .255/.340/.431 line in 121 innings. He had 99 strikeouts and 54 walks. Once up, he never went back to AAA.

Between early August and early September, Irvin had a 2.65 ERA across six starts. In other words, he had a sustained run of success. But nothing is guaranteed in 2024. So he’s ready to compete at Nationals spring training for a regular rotation spot.

Irvin is a Bloomington Jefferson graduate and was a 4th round pick of the Nationals in 2018 out of the University of Oklahoma.

Irvin was sidetracked for two years with COVID shutting down the 2020 season, then he was shutdown in 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.