Irvin dishes on breakout season in Q&A

MLB.com caught up with Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon and he answered questions on a wide range of topics, from his visit to the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, N.J., to why he is already a mature pitcher in his second season in the big leagues.

MLB.com: How fun was it to be in Secaucus, N.J., and appear on MLB Central?

Irvin: That was awesome. We watch MLB Network every day, so finally being able to get into the studio, check that stuff out and see what they are all about, it’s pretty cool to see all the production that goes on.

MLB.com: What excited you the most while you were on the show? I know they asked you a lot of questions about your game. But you seemed excited about a lot of things.

Irvin: You are not going to believe this: It was seeing all the NHL Network stuff. It’s like right next door. I’m a huge hockey fan, so I got to see all the sticks and stuff and the guys that were able to go into the NHL Network studio. Obviously, seeing the baseball stuff was neat.

MLB.com: People forget that you are from Minnesota. Did you ever think you would become a hockey player?

Irvin: Sure, but I wasn’t as good and I wasn’t as consistent with it as I was with baseball. Looking back, I wish a younger me would have taken hockey a little more seriously. But I say I’m in a good spot right now.

MLB.com: You are having a great year. Could you explain why?

Irvin: I think it’s having a consistent mindset. The coaching staff does a really good job of preaching the right stuff every day -- let those days build up and prepare for every fifth day when you are going to take the ball and compete for your team. The fact that the team is having a little more success, too, helps with those things. The defense behind me is outstanding. Guys putting up runs early and having more confidence going out there with a lead. For me, it’s just being consistent and having a good mindset every time out.

MLB.com: During Spring Training, we heard about the conversation between you and manager Dave Martinez in regards to being more competitive on the mound. You took that conversation seriously. How much did that conversation help you this season?

Irvin: It put me in attack mode. The offseason is where we tweak things and get a little bit better, trying to mess with different pitches and shapes. But the season is for competing. Get the guys out. The message was clear: Throw strikes, get ahead of guys and make them earn it.

MLB.com: I think you belong in the All-Star Game. Did you feel you were snubbed?

Irvin: It’s hard to speak to that because there is another guy in this locker room that deserves it as much as I did.

MLB.com: Who is it?

Irvin: Besides CJ Abrams, who is the best shortstop in the National League and he deserves to be there, I think Kyle Finnegan is having just as good of a year. I thought he might hear his name called as well. As far as being snubbed, I know I did the right things to be considered for that roster.

MLB.com: The one thing I noticed about you is that you are not afraid to say you were wrong or made mistakes. How did you get that trait?

Irvin: This is a really hard game. You are going to mess up. It’s a game of failure. Just kind of being an adult, holding yourself accountable for the mistakes that you make. It’s also important to my teammates that they know that when I screw up. I’m going to admit my faults. I’m going to own up to them. I’m going to learn from them and try to be better because of it. Hopefully, that’s something they see in me and know I’m never going to be an excuse maker, somebody who complains when things don’t go their way.

MLB.com: Is there a family member or someone who taught you to be that way?

Irvin: My parents raised me with that mindset. It starts there. I had some really good coaches along the way that told me there wasn’t a need to make excuses. It’s not going to do you any good. Things aren’t going to go your way. You learn from them.

We have a strength coach here, Tony Rogowski, who I talk with daily. He is not by any means a mental skills coach, but that’s how we treat our talks daily. What can we learn? What can we continue to build on mentally to come to the park every day and learn?

MLB.com: What’s the biggest thing that Tony taught you from a mental aspect?

Irvin: We talk about doing things the right way a lot -- doing things with confidence, a grateful mindset. ... It helps bulletproof you in scenarios that we find ourselves in [on the field] and in life.

MLB.com: I just found this out yesterday. This is your second full season. Yet, you are 27 years old. You are pretty mature.

Irvin: It’s my first full season, actually (laughing). Last year, I was called up in May. This is the first full year I had up here. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can. Trying not to have any ego about it. There is no reason to. This game is so hard, so humbling that I’m just trying to come to the field every day to give our team the best chance to win.

MLB.com: Is it because you are a little older than most that you are mature for your age?

Irvin: I would say I learned a lot of lessons about the Minor Leagues. If you interviewed me a couple of years ago in the Minor Leagues, you would have thought I was a little bit different. … I was fortunate enough to go through my own trials in the Minors. After I had Tommy John surgery in 2020, I just kind of took a step back, learning as much as possible and trying to grow up as much as possible.

MLB.com: You are on a team that has a history of pitchers having Tommy John surgery, from Stephen Strasburg to Jordan Zimmermann. What did you learn from your coaches or general manager Mike Rizzo about recovering from the procedure?

Irvin: The best thing was, I was around the strength staff and physical training staff where they preached, “Come to the park and win the day.” If you have daily wins, it’s going to add to 15 months of really good recovery, strengthening. The process of winning day to day was more important than having surgery and being ready in 15 months. If you didn’t take it day by day, you might not get back on the field in 15 months and things might come at you a little quicker than you thought. You might not be prepared for it. They have been through the process. They were there when I needed a little push. From a mindset perspective, they showed me the most important thing was staying true to yourself in that day-to-day process and working hard every time I came to the field.

MLB.com: And you are part of that future, which is bright.

Irvin: I love being a Washington National. There is no better time than the present because we have some super young talent. I’m excited for what’s here. I’m excited for what’s to come.