Jackson Jobe just wanted to pitch. The third overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft arrived in Lakeland, Fla., for his second Spring Training, raring to show he could build on the lessons of his first full season only to tweak his back shortly after his report date. The diagnosis: lumbar spine inflammation.
The Tigers held Jobe out until June 17 for a rehab appearance in the Florida Complex League, but the right-hander wanted to prove his high-quality, high-spin stuff was ready for brighter lights.
“I was on ‘Go’ mode the second they let me out of there,” he said. “But they were being pretty conservative about it, which obviously makes sense. I’m glad they did that, because now I’m able to come out here healthy and hopefully keep it that way.”
“Here” in this case is the Arizona Fall League, where Jobe has been assigned to Salt River along with the rest of the Tigers’ representatives for the six-week autumnal campaign.
Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 54 overall prospect, the 21-year-old is the second-highest-ranked pitcher in the desert this year, trailing only No. 31 Ricky Tiedemann of the Blue Jays. But while the AFL offers an opportunity for Jobe to make up for the lost innings, it’s also a chance to show why he’s one of the Minor Leagues’ best arms.
“I think that’s the biggest thing — building workload,” he said. “But obviously, I want to come out here and show these guys what I got and dominate and do my best.”
Jobe is off to a good start in that regard. He struck out four and scattered two hits and two walks over four scoreless innings in his Rafters debut on Oct. 2. His four-seam fastball touched 98.3 mph in the 55-pitch outing and was generally around 95-97. His trademark slider averaged 84.1 mph and 3,004 rpm, generating four called strikes and whiffs on 13 total offerings. Even his mid-80s changeup — a work in progress for a pitcher known primarily for his spin — got two whiffs on six pitches.
But it’s the development of a cutter (new in 2023) that might warrant the closest watching during Jobe’s time in the AFL. The pitch is a harder breaking pitch than his sweeper — both in terms of velocity and horizontal movement — and the more Jobe becomes comfortable with the cutter, the more hitters are headed back to the dugout shaking their heads.
“It’s been great,” Jobe said. “I think it gives me another weapon to get guys off my fastball-slider combination, and I think it helps bridge the gap with my slider and I use it to protect my slider.”
The second pitcher taken off the board two years ago after then-Vanderbilt phenom Jack Leiter, Jobe entered pro ball with a certain level of expectations and initially didn’t quite match them, posting a 4.52 ERA over 18 starts in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2022. The back injury put his stock into deeper question.
But the goal was never to be great in 2022 or 2023. It was to be great by the time he arrived in the Majors after a process of Minor League development.
“Even going back to last year, I didn’t have the year that I wanted, but I feel like I learned a ton,” he said. “I felt like I got better each start, even if it was just a little bit. I think it’s the same thing here. It took me a month coming back from injury to figure things out and get back in the swing of things, but then I found my stride.”
Jobe made his first six-inning start for High-A West Michigan on Aug. 24, and over his final five starts between there and Double-A Erie, he closed out the regular season with a 1.61 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 28 innings. He did not walk a single batter in that span.
Look out, AFL. This is the Jobe that was promised.
“I know if I execute my strengths, then I’m going to be to alright the majority of the time,” he said. “So I’m going to stick with that mindset right now, and we’ll adjust as it as we go.”
Tigers hitters in the Fall League
Jace Jung, 2B (No. 4/MLB No. 67): Jung — brother of Rangers rookie Josh — was drafted 12th overall on the strength of his bat, and that came through as he cracked an organization-best 28 homers and finished with a .265/.376/.502 line in 128 games between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie. He garnered solid reviews for his work at second base, but Detroit has sent him to the Fall League with a desire for him to gain exposure to third base.
Hao-Yu Lee, 2B (No. 8): The Tigers acquired Lee from the Phillies in the Michael Lorenzen deal at the Trade Deadline, but the 20-year-old infielder appeared in only eight games for West Michigan before hitting the injured list with a left quad strain. The Taiwan native has the chance to be an above-average hitter with a clean right-handed swing and a good approach that has allowed him to take walks at every Minor League stop. Below-average speed limits him defensively, but his bat will push him toward Detroit.
Justice Bigbie, OF (No. 21): The Tigers saw Kerry Carpenter break out in 2022 on his way to being a solid Major League contributor this year. They could hope that Bigbie follows a similar path. The 2021 19th-rounder was a Prospect Team of the Year First Teamer this season after leading Tigers Minor League qualifiers in average (.343), OPS (.942) and wRC+ (157) over 115 games across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Measuring up against AFL competition could give internal and external evaluators a better idea of just how close Bigbie is to helping out the big club.
Tigers pitchers in the Fall League
Wilmer Flores, RHP (No. 7): After a breakout 2022, Flores couldn’t make it past Double-A for a second straight season, in part due to a hamstring injury that limited him to 80 2/3 innings in the Eastern League. There is still some promising stuff here, as he showed in his AFL debut, with a mid-90s fastball, 79-81 mph curveball and mid-80s cutter. The 6-foot-4 right-hander still needs to improve the quality of his changeup to keep from a future move to the bullpen.
Dylan Smith, RHP (No. 24): The 2021 third-rounder out of Alabama has yet to reach triple-digit innings in pro ball, first because of arm fatigue last season and then a right forearm strain that kept him to 37 1/3 innings across three levels in 2023. His fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range while his slider and curveball can both get whiffs and his mid-80s split changeup is closer to average.
Tanner Kohlhepp, RHP: A 2021 fifth-rounder out of Notre Dame, Kohlhepp didn’t make his Minor League debut until this past June 22 at Single-A Lakeland after Tommy John surgery knocked him out for the entire 2022 season. He stuck out the season in the Florida State League, making one-to-two-inning appearances while he regained his game on the mound. Control was an issue (25 walks in 23 2/3 IP) after the lost time, but he did show good velocity, sitting 93-95 mph and touching 98, while mixing in curves and changes.
RJ Petit, RHP: Officially listed at 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, Petit certainly brings a level of presence to the mound. The 24-year-old right-hander can touch the upper-90s with his four-seamer and also shows a sinker, changeup and slider — the latter of which he leaned on in his AFL debut on Oct. 5. Petit spent much of the season as a reliever with Erie, posting a 3.83 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 17 walks in 51 2/3 innings.