The Detroit Tigers are expected to have a relatively young pitching rotation in 2022, but their latest high level prospect, #3 overall draft pick Jackson Jobe, 19, represents a whole different generation of pitchers entirely in baseball years.
Jobe, a right-hander out of Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma, is a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder with a devastating slider and a four-seam fastball that tops out at 96 miles per hour.
He told the Detroit Free Press last summer in Lakeland he wants to pitch for the Tigers as soon as possible, although it has happened just yet.
“As far as the plan moving forward, we haven’t talked a ton about that,” Jobe said Friday.
“I think we’re just kind of taking it day-by-day, and we’ll figure it out as it comes.”
Jobe said he was “so excited” to get back out on the mound according to a January 27 post from the Detroit Tigers Player Development Twitter page.
“But honestly, I’m just trying to stay within myself, I know I have the stuff to be successful so, I’m trying not to overthink it.
“I think if I just go out there, attack guys and do things the way I do them, then things will go how I want to,” he added.
"I'm hungry. I'm counting down the days."@jacksonwjobe is ready to face batters again. pic.twitter.com/YsOq7CyteH
— Detroit Tigers Player Development (@RoadtoDetroit) January 27, 2022
Jobe is Taken Yard for First Home Run Given Up “Anywhere”
According to a tweet from Jason Beck, the Detroit Tigers beat reporter from MLB.com, Jobe gave up his first home run “anywhere” to shortstop prospect Manuel Sequera, a Venezuelan Tigers prospect, in a live batting practice setting.
According to his stats on MaxPreps.com, Jobe did not give up any home runs during his high school career.
Here’s that Manuel Sequera shot. Shortstop prospect has some power. pic.twitter.com/fcWteo2JOl
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) February 23, 2022
Beck said Jobe was gracious in his description of what happened afterward.
This was the first home run Jackson Jobe has given up, anywhere. He was gracious in talking about it.
“Welcome to pro ball, I guess,” he said. https://t.co/U0X9MUGTjr
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) February 23, 2022
It wasn’t all bad for Jobe, however.
According to Beck, the home run was the only solid contact made all day by opposing hitters.
Jackson Jobe did not get his eagerly awaited matchup with good friend Izaac Pacheco today. Instead, his live BP session was against Andre Lipcius, Cristian Santana and Manuel Sequera. Sequera was the only hitter to make solid contact, and took him deep. pic.twitter.com/MkRPE4IQXU
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) February 23, 2022
Check out highlights from the Tigers’ draft selection of Jobe below.
