MLB · Biography
Jake Irvin
Pitcher (RHP) · Washington Nationals · MLB · active · OU 2016-2018
Minnesota-born workhorse who started the OU-to-Nationals pitching pipeline
Jake Irvin is from Bloomington, Minnesota, where he pitched at Jefferson High School. His hometown Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 37th round in 2015, but he chose to pitch at Oklahoma.
Irvin was a starter for three seasons in Norman. In 2017 he opened the season with seven one-hit, shutout innings and 10 strikeouts against Long Beach State, went 6–3 with a 3.53 ERA and made the All-Big 12 Second Team. In 2018, as OU's Friday-night starter, he went 6–2 with a 3.41 ERA and led the Big 12 with 115 strikeouts in 95 innings. He was named first-team All-Big 12 and a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
The Washington Nationals drafted him in the fourth round (131st overall) in 2018. Baseball America later wrote that the Oklahoma-to-Nationals pitching pipeline began with him. He had Tommy John surgery in October 2020, missed the 2021 season and returned in 2022. He made his major league debut on May 3, 2023, against the Cubs.
In 2024 he tied for the league lead with 33 starts and went 10–14 with a 4.41 ERA. He made 33 more starts in 2025. A right shoulder strain sidelined him from late May to July 30 in 2026, and he finished 2–10 with a 5.48 ERA. As of October 9, 2026, he is a pitcher for the Nationals.