When Jared Simpson took the mound for the Washington Nationals this week, he didn't just check off a career milestone — he became part of a piece of baseball history that had only been written once before in over a century of the sport.
Simpson, the Iowa alum and Nationals pitcher, debuted alongside infielder Yohandy Morales in a game that produced a combination not seen since before 1900: two teammates debuting in the same game, with one hitting a home run and the other pitching impressively. Morales supplied the homer; Simpson supplied the arm. The result was a rare entry in the record books and, more immediately, a win for Washington.
A Dream Debut and What Came Next
The debut was only the beginning. Simpson followed it up with a strong outing against the Braves on September 1st, tossing 3.0 innings and striking out three — the kind of performance that turns a debut story into an early-season narrative. He's part of a wave of homegrown bullpen arms in Washington — alongside Erik Tolman and Jack Sinclair — that have made good first impressions for a Nationals bullpen that has been in need of reinforcements. For a franchise in a rebuilding phase, homegrown arms pitching like this is exactly the signal the front office wants to see.
Simpson's trajectory is one Iowa fans should be tracking closely. A pitcher who debuts with history attached and then backs it up with strikeouts in his next outing is not blending into the background.
Dreyer Quietly Holding His Own in LA
On the other side of the country, fellow Iowa alum Jack Dreyer continued to carve out a role in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen. Dreyer logged 1.0 inning against the Cardinals on September 3rd and another clean frame against the Nationals on September 5th, pushing his ERA down to 2.88. Dreyer isn't making headlines the way Simpson is, but a sub-3.00 ERA in the Dodgers' bullpen — one of the most scrutinized relief corps in baseball — is its own kind of statement.
Two Iowa pitchers, two different markets, both making their cases. For a program that doesn't always dominate MLB alumni rolls, this is a moment worth noting.
The Bigger Picture
The week belonged to Simpson by a wide margin — history has a way of doing that — but the quiet competence Dreyer is showing in Los Angeles adds depth to the Iowa alumni story in MLB. Whether Simpson can sustain his early momentum in Washington's bullpen will be the subplot to watch as September unfolds. The Nationals are in rebuild mode, which means opportunity is real for a pitcher who's already shown he can handle the moment.
Iowa fans tuning into Nationals broadcasts this fall have a reason to stay locked in.
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