There are some more highly touted, harder throwing pitching prospects in the Nationals organization, but left hander Jake Bennett has been one of the best performers. He flies under the radar for reasons that we will get into, but start after start the 24 year old left hander produces.
Making things even more impressive is that this is Bennett’s first season back after Tommy John Surgery. The left hander is better than ever with a 2.24 ERA in 16 starts across 60.1 innings. Given the innings total,
it is clear the organization is being cautious with him. Despite that caution, he is closing in on the big leagues.
The reason that Bennett goes under the radar is his Tommy John Surgery and the fact he does not have the loudest stuff. Despite being a second round pick back in 2022, Bennett was known more for his command than his stuff. He sits in the low to mid 90’s with solid but not spectacular secondary pitches. However, reports do say that his stuff is ticking up this year.
His calling card is his command and pitchability. You see that in the numbers this year. Bennett is walking just 2.69 batters per 9 innings, while generating above average ground ball rates. For the season, he is striking out a middling 21.1% of hitters, but that is not really his game.
In the lower minors, he could strike plenty of guys out due to being such an advanced operator. However, in Double-A, those strikeouts have pretty much vanished. At the Double-A level, he is striking out just 15.5% of hitters.
That few strikeouts is a yellow flag and is why he is not a top 100 prospect. His ceiling is clearly capped due to a lack of swing and miss stuff. If you can’t consistently miss bats, you have to walk a tight rope.
However, Bennett is an adept tight rope walker. Even without the swing and miss stuff, he still has an ERA of 2.64 in 7 AA starts. He is getting results because he has done a great job keeping the ball on the ground. Overall, he has a 51% GB rate in Double-A. While he doesn’t strike out many, he still has good enough stuff to get it by guys every now and then.
In a lot of ways, Bennett reminds me of Jake Irvin, but as a left hander. Well, the good version of Jake Irvin that threw 94 instead of 91. Like Irvin, Bennett is an imposing presence on the mound due to his 6’6 frame. He is also a former Oklahoma Sooner who had to undergo Tommy John Surgery. Both rely on command over stuff, but at their best have enough stuff to get by.
Jake Bennett goes under the radar in Nats prospect circles, and I understand it. He is a bit of a boring prospect, but in a good way. Barring injury, he should be a back of the rotation arm. It is a safe projection, but it is not the flashiest.
Alex Clemmey has gotten a lot more headlines this year because of his youth and big time stuff. However, I think Bennett is a similar level of prospect. While Clemmey has a far higher ceiling, Bennett has a safer floor. In Clemmey’s first taste of Double-A, he is getting a rude awakening, which is fine because he is 20, but also shows he is a couple years away.
On the other hand, Bennett should be up at some point in 2026. I would not be surprised to see Jake Bennett holding down a rotation slot by the end of the 2026 season assuming he is healthy. You have to eat your vegetables, and Jake Bennett is an eat your veggies type of prospect. Nothing flashy, but the kind of arm every organization needs.
