Right-hander Jackson Rutledge has signed with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the team announced on July 30.
Rutledge, a towering 6-foot-8, 241-pound pitcher, was originally selected by the Washington Nationals with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2023 and spent parts of four seasons with Washington, compiling a disappointing 6.29 ERA with 88 strikeouts over 103 innings across 71 appearances.
This season, the 27-year-old made just one appearance for the Nationals, allowing seven earned runs over 1 1/3 innings, before being designated for assignment in May. The Philadelphia Phillies subsequently claimed him off waivers and sent him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. After another stint with the organization on a minor-league deal, he was released on July 23, clearing the way for his move to Japan.
Between Triple-A Rochester and Lehigh Valley this season, Rutledge posted a 3.98 ERA over 20 1/3 innings, though he struck out just 14 batters against 11 walks. Including a brief rehab assignment with Single-A Clearwater, he recorded a 3.47 ERA over 23 1/3 minor-league innings.
Rutledge has worked as both a starter and reliever throughout his professional career, though he transitioned primarily into a bullpen role with Washington in 2025. His combination of size and velocity has long made him an intriguing arm, with his sinker sitting around 95 mph.
In his limited MLB action this season, he leaned exclusively on a cutter, sinker, and splitter, though he has also thrown a slider and curveball in past years. SoftBank will likely stretch him out while utilizing his full five-pitch mix.
Rutledge has already made his first start on the farm since joining the Hawks, tossing five shutout innings with six strikeouts. That puts him in position to potentially earn a call-up and become an important reinforcement for the pitching staff down the stretch and into October.
SoftBank currently leads the Pacific League comfortably with a 68-40-2 record and is increasingly getting its pitching staff back to full strength as the postseason approaches. Cuban ace Livan Moinelo recently returned from injury, while Taiwanese talent Jo-Hsi Hsu could potentially return in time for the playoffs as well.
Photo: Washington Nationals pitcher Jackson Rutledge delivers in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)