Apr 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Washington Nationals hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Former UConn Huskies Pitcher Makes Long-Awaited MLB Debut

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI | By Tommy Wild | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 12:15 PM ET

From Little League to high school, to college, every kid dreams of pitching under the lights for an MLB team. For one former UConn Huskies pitcher, that dream finally became a reality on Tuesday night.

PJ Poulin ran onto the field for the Washington Nationals ahead of the sixth inning against the Athletics, officially making his MLB debut.

The 29-year-old threw 13 pitches in one full inning of work. Poulin did give up two hits in his first big-league appearances, but didn’t allow those base runners to come around and score, and even notched his first MLB strikeout as well.

The right-hander primarily threw a fastball in his first big-league game, with the max velocity on the heater being 91.9 mph. Poulin also has a sweeper and changeup in his pitch-mix, which he used on occasion against the A’s.

First MLB strikeout ends a scoreless MLB debut inning for @pjpoulin ‼️ #UConnBred pic.twitter.com/UlatndkUyx
— UConn Baseball (@UConnBSB) August 6, 2025

Before Poulin made his MLB debut, he was one of the best pitchers on the Huskies during the late 2010s. He pitched at UConn from 2016-2018, making appearances in 64 games during the span.

The left-hander was primarily a relief pitcher during his time with the Huskies, but also made six starts. Poulin finished his time at UConn with a 3.35 ERA, 1.372 WHIP, and averaged just over a strikeout per inning.

During his 2016 season with the Huskies, Poulin set a school record by recording 16 saves throughout the year.

Poulin has been waiting a long time to pitch in his first big-league game. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the 336th overall pick (11th round), and spent the next six seasons grinding his way through the minor leagues.

In March of 2024, the Rockies traded Poulin to the Detroit Tigers, where he spent the rest of the season at Triple-A. The Tigers designated the lefty for assignment on July 31 and traded him to the Nationals on August 3, where he went on to make his MLB debut just two days later.

The Nationals are looking for so many more mainstays in their bullpen, and Poulin has an opportunity to be just that for D.C. Nationals interim manager Miguel Cairo said after the game that “Poulin threw really well.”

Poulin has plenty of experience pitching in high-leverage situations during his time at UConn and has accumulated 36 saves and 36 holds at minor league levels. He could very easily be a trusted arm in the Nats’ bullpen, and it’ll be fun for Huskies fans to follow his career.

This article first appeared on UConn Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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