WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Right-hander Jackson Rutledge has been one of the Nationals’ top pitching prospects since he was drafted with the 17th overall pick in 2019.

After battling injuries early in his Minor League career, Rutledge made 20 starts with Single-A Fredericksburg last season. He finished the year ranked as the Nats’ No. 12 prospect by MLB Pipeline after going 8-6 with a 4.90 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP.

“He’s got really good stuff, he really does,” manager Dave Martinez said. “The more strikes he throws, the easier it’s going to be for him. We’re looking for him to attack the strike zone, stay in command. He’s one of our future guys. He made big strides last year. We’re hoping, one, is [that he stays healthy], and two, is that he pounds the strike zone.”

In this prospect Q&A, get to know Rutledge off the field. Stay tuned for other Q&As during camp.

MLB.com: You’re wearing No. 79 now. What is your dream number to wear in the Majors?

Rutledge: Pretty much all my life, I've been 34 for two reasons. One, my dad when he played, he was 33. So I had to one-up him (smiles). Then also because I’m a big fan of Nolan Ryan, [who wore] 34.

MLB.com: Which song gets stuck in your head most often?

Rutledge: A lot of times when I’m playing catch or working out, I’ll have my walkout song. It’s called "Vidage" by 1000mods. It’s a super obscure song. It just came up on my Spotify. I got into progressive rock for a little bit, and that’s what that is. That rhythm always gets stuck in my head when I’m playing catch. I’ll play catch or work out to that rhythm going in my head all the time.

MLB.com: How did you get your name?

Rutledge: My parents were trying to be original, and they named me Jackson. Then I went to elementary school, and there were like four of us. (Looks over at Jackson Tetreault’s locker and laughs.)

MLB.com: If you could pitch to any former baseball player, who would you want to pitch against and why?

Rutledge: It's hard not to say Barry Bonds, just because I don't know anybody who consistently got him out. I’d like to go to that challenge. Albert Pujols is another one, just because of watching him growing up in St. Louis. The absolute legend and class act that he is, it would be cool to face him.

MLB.com: Was Pujols your favorite player?

Rutledge: I’d say Adam Wainwright was, as a pitcher. I just like the way he handles his business. From what I've heard, he's a really good guy in the clubhouse -- just being a leader. He's an ace. No matter how old he is or how he's performing, he still has that sort of demeanor where he's like, “I’m going to have confidence, I’m going to go out and give my team a chance to win no matter what.” That’s something I really like, and he’s just so consistent.

MLB.com: Who is somebody you have met -- it doesn’t have to be a baseball player -- and you couldn’t believe you were meeting them?

Rutledge: One that sticks out is, I met Craig Robinson, the comedian. He was Darryl from “The Office.” I met him in the airport when I was probably 15 or 16 [years old]. I took a selfie with him -- it was hysterical. I was like, "I know this guy!" … My dad and I were waiting in the airport, eating, and he was sitting there by himself. I was like, “Hey man, I’m a big fan.” He was like, “Let’s take a selfie.”

MLB.com: What are your hobbies or secret talents?

Rutledge: I like to cook a lot. I’m pretty much cooking my own dinner every night. I think that’s what my answer would be of what I wanted to do other than baseball, now -- it probably would be to open a restaurant. I’m a big-time foodie. It kind of started when I went to junior college and was like, “I can’t afford to eat out, better learn how to cook.” From there, it was like, “Oh, I can make food that’s good for me. This could help me. It tastes good.”

MLB.com: How did you learn how to cook?

Rutledge: My parents cooked a lot growing up, so I kind of remembered what they did. Then I just Googled stuff. I’ve got some cookbooks now that I have learned some techniques from. In junior college, I watched a lot of “Chopped.” I’d just get bored and was like, “Oh, I should try to make that now.”

MLB.com: If you had to prepare dinner for somebody, what would be your go-to dish?

Rutledge: I do a pretty good taco spread -- mix-ins, salsa verde, make up some guacamole and marinated flap steak, flank steak. That’s my go-to for sure.