Detroit Tigers’ Elite Jackson Jobe

Detroit Tigers right-hander, Jackson Jobe, has had a tremendous start to his major league career.

Jobe, who turns 23 July 30, has dazzled in his true rookie year.

At 6-2, 190 pounds, Jobe has the strength and physicality to pitch deeply into games.

About Jackson Jobe:

Jobe was a 1st round selection of the Tigers in the 2021 MLB draft.

Selected out of Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City, as the third overall pick in the draft, Jobe received a $6.9 million signing bonus from Detroit.

The Tigers kept Jobe away from a commitment to play baseball at The University of Mississippi.

Only catcher Henry Davis (Pirates) and righty Jack Leiter (Rangers) were chosen before Jobe.

An excellent athlete, Jobe is the son of professional golfer, Brandt Jobe.

While in high school, Jobe played both shortstop and quarterback for the Heritage Hall Chargers.

As a quarterback, Jobe led his team to a State Championship as a sophomore, in 2018.

Jobe won Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year Award in 2021.

Jobe completed parts of only two seasons in his minor league development.

He started 58 minor league games, throwing 233 innings. He had a collective 2.97 ERA, and 1.13 WHIP.

Jobe was sidelined with lumbar spine inflammation in 2023, and a strained hamstring in 2024. Nevertheless, Jobe flew through the Tigers development program.

Jobe got his first taste of major league competition when the Tigers summoned him from Triple-A Toledo to pitch in two games last season.

Jobe made his big league debut in on September 25, 2024, pitching one relief inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was only 22-years-old at the time.

Jobe made two relief appearances in last year’s playoffs. He threw in the Tigers Wild Card victory over the Houston Astros, and then again in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

So far this season, Jobe has started five games. He has a 2-0 record, with a fine 3.38 ERA, and 1.33 WHIP in 24 innings pitched.

Scouting Jackson Jobe:

Ranked the 3rd best Tigers prospect by MLB.com in 2024, MLB.com named Jobe the second best overall right-handed pitcher this season, second only to the Dodgers Roki Sasaki.

The Tigers top overall prospect entering this season, Jobe has not disappointed.

According to brooksbaseball.net, Jobe’s repertoire and velocities include the following pitches: Four-seam fastball (97.51 miles per hour) Sinker (96.06 MPH) Changeup (85.39 MPH) Curveball (81.13 MPH) and Cutter (89.11 MPH.)

Jobe throws his cutter 34.12% of the time, and his four-seam fastball, 27% of the time. He spreads out his pitches almost equally.

Jobe’s fastball is said to be the best in the Tigers organization. Most analysts grade that pitch as a 70, which equates to an All Star, high impact pitch.

Jobe’s fastball hit 101.8 MPH this past spring training.

With late movement and great life on his fastball, Jobe can throw that pitch to all quadrants of the plate, at will. His fastball serves to set up the remainder of his arsenal.

Hitters are getting weak contact off Jobe’s offerings, as he is moving the ball around, changing speeds, altering the balance of the hitters, and changing their eye levels.

Jobe is comfortable pitching to contact, as the hitter may very well put the ball in play. But the contact is rather soft, and not overly threatening. He is striking out an average of 6.8 hitters per nine innings, which isn’t overwhelming.

If there is any concern regarding Jobe’s early outings for the Tigers, it may lie in his rather high walk rate. He is walking an average of 5.3 hitters per nine innings, which will likely come down with more experience.

Scouting Grade: 60

For this old scout, Jackson Jobe has a tremendous future as a perennial All Star.

His 60 grade factors his outstanding fastball as the focal point of his arsenal, but it also includes the fact he has a compete repertoire that he uses with confidence.

Early inconsistency in command and control keep Jobe from an even higher scouting grade, but his Grade 60 means that he and Tarik Skubal can lead the Tigers starting staff for years to come.