Jackson Jobe

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 60/High
  
  Track Record: Like organization-mate Max Clark, Jobe was a BA High School Player of the Year winner. Jobe won the award in 2021, the year the Tigers drafted him third overall and signed him for $6.9 million. He reached High-A West Michigan late in 2022 and would have returned there to open 2023 if not for inflammation in his lower back that forced him to miss the first two and a half months of the season. Jobe ended the campaign on a high note with a 22-inning walk-less streak for West Michigan and Double-A Erie, then added four more effective starts in the Arizona Fall League. Jobe’s 69.3% strike percentage was among the tops in the minors.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe is a hitter’s nightmare. He can attack a batter in multiple ways with plus stuff and plus command. Other than missing the first half of the season, Jobe did everything the Tigers could have hoped for in 2023. He dominated hitters, threw strikes and improved his delivery. While he was sidelined, Jobe worked to become more direct to the plate. He also tightened up his plus-plus mid-80s slider, which improved his control of the pitch. His plus 95-97 mph four-seam fastball has above-average life, and he shows plenty of confidence in his plus mid-80s changeup. He also added an average 90-92 mph cutter that can help generate weak contact. Jobe can force hitters to protect the entire plate, because his fastball is effective in the top third of the zone, his slider works glove side and down and his changeup has ride and fade to the armside edge of the zone. His cutter messes with hitters who think they’re seeing a fastball.
  
  The Future: Jobe’s slow start meant he only reached Double-A Erie in the final week of the regular season, but if he can stay healthy, it’s realistic to think he could advance to Detroit in 2024. He has what scouts look for in a front-of-the-rotation starter.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 60
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #1 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: The son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson carried Heritage Hall High to the Oklahoma 4A state championship as its star shortstop and top pitcher in 2021. His two-way exploits and pro promise helped him earn the BA High School Player of the Year award that season. Despite his natural ability as a position player, Jobe's top billing as the best high school pitcher in his class led the Tigers to select him third overall as a righthander. Detroit signed him for $6.9 million, about 96% of the slot value of $7.2 million. Jobe did not pitch after signing and made his pro debut with 18 starts for Low-A Lakeland in 2022. The Tigers promoted him to High-A West Michigan on Aug. 27, and in his final six starts of the season for Lakeland and West Michigan he recorded a 1.91 ERA while striking out 25, walking nine and allowing a .185 opponent average in 28.1 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe stands at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a projectable, athletic frame and is expected to add a good deal of strength as his body continues to fill out. His most highly developed offering is a plus-plus, low-80s slider that combines depth and impressive spin, regularly surpassing 3,000 rpm. Despite his slider's tremendous horizontal break, Jobe has shown an ability to locate the pitch--though some scouts believed the consistency of his command could improve. His four-seam fastball averaged 94 mph in 2022 and has been up to 97, with around 17 inches of induced vertical break, though his results with the pitch weren't great and some scouts thought the pitch had just average life. Jobe's mid-80s changeup is a potential plus pitch that generated whiffs at a 42% rate, with impressive drop and solid feel. He also infrequently throws an upper-70s curveball that is less impressive than his slider, but gives him four legitimate pitches to round out his arsenal. Working off the natural downhill plane from his lanky frame, Jobe's natural athleticism and a mix of clean mechanics and easy velocity give him above-average future control grades.
  
  The Future: Over time, the Tigers have worked to perfect their ability to individualize a player's development track, as opposed to simply fast-tracking him through the pipeline. While Jobe's arsenal and mature understanding of his craft could help him rise faster than most high school pitchers, don't be surprised if the Tigers take their time with him to ensure both health and proper physical development. After beginning his professional career in 2022, Jobe spent just three outings in the High-A Midwest League to end the regular season, so a return to the Whitecaps to start the 2023 season is likely.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 70. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #3 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson carried Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City) High to the Oklahoma 4A state championship as its star shortstop and top pitcher and won BA’s 2021 High School Player of the Year award. Though he had pro potential as a position player, he was the best high school pitcher in the class, leading the Tigers to select him third overall as a pitcher and sign him for $6.9 million to forgo his commitment to Mississippi. Jobe did not pitch after signing and did not take part in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe stands at a projectable 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and has plenty of room to add strength and fill out his frame. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and touches 96 with solid movement. His primary weapon is a plus-plus, high-spin slider with depth and bite that he expertly locates to both sides of the plate. His low-80s changeup with late dive is steadily improving and shows plus potential, and his above-average spike curveball with 11-to-5 break and depth could improve the more he works it into his arsenal. Jobe repeats his low-effort delivery and clean arm action for above-average control and is an excellent athlete with an advanced feel for pitching on the mound.
  
  The Future: Jobe’s arsenal and mature understanding of his craft could help him rise faster than most high school pitchers. He has at least mid-rotation potential and will begin his pro career in 2022.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #8 prospect in 2021 draft
  The son of a PGA touring pro (Brandt Jobe) who still competes on the PGA’s senior tour, the younger Jobe is likely to be the first prep arm off the board. The question is just how high will he go? In the past two years, no prep pitcher has been selected higher than 15th (Mick Abel, 2020). Jobe’s elite spin rates, four-pitch package and fresh arm could mean he goes higher than that. Jobe is still relatively new to focusing on pitching—he was a shortstop and quarterback who was still viewed in a similar regard as a shortstop prospect as he was as a pitcher last summer. There are no such debates now. His shortstop play in addition to his pitching helped Heritage Hall to an Oklahoma 4A state title, but everyone sees Jobe moving to the mound full-time as a pro. Jobe’s 3,000-rpm slider is one of the best pitches in the class. It’s a future plus-plus pitch that has excellent depth and bite and he’s shown he can land it for strikes as well. His mid-90s fastball is another plus pitch. It has life up in the zone and he’s demonstrated he can work it in and out. When he throws it down in the zone, it has solid arm-side ride. Unlike many high school stars, Jobe already shows feel for a future plus mid-80s changeup as well. He shows confidence in it and it has late downward dive. He even has a fourth future above-average pitch in a spike curve with 11-to-5 break and depth. Jobe’s delivery includes a clean arm action with minimal effort. There’s reason to believe he will continue to get stronger and eventually throw even harder. Jobe’s spin rates and vertical movement on his fastball are alluring to teams. He’s an excellent athlete who would be a pro prospect as a shortstop if not for his pitching ability. He’s a Mississippi commit, but his draft stock makes it unlikely he will make it to school.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #5 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #52 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #83 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #79 prospect in 2022

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: The son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson carried Heritage Hall High to the Oklahoma 4A state championship as its star shortstop and top pitcher in 2021. His two-way exploits and pro promise helped him earn the BA High School Player of the Year award that season. Despite his natural ability as a position player, Jobe's top billing as the best high school pitcher in his class led the Tigers to select him third overall as a righthander. Detroit signed him for $6.9 million, about 96% of the slot value of $7.2 million. Jobe did not pitch after signing and made his pro debut with 18 starts for Low-A Lakeland in 2022. The Tigers promoted him to High-A West Michigan on Aug. 27, and in his final six starts of the season for Lakeland and West Michigan he recorded a 1.91 ERA while striking out 25, walking nine and allowing a .185 opponent average in 28.1 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe stands at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a projectable, athletic frame and is expected to add a good deal of strength as his body continues to fill out. His most highly developed offering is a plus-plus, low-80s slider that combines depth and impressive spin, regularly surpassing 3,000 rpm. Despite his slider's tremendous horizontal break, Jobe has shown an ability to locate the pitch--though some scouts believed the consistency of his command could improve. His four-seam fastball averaged 94 mph in 2022 and has been up to 97, with around 17 inches of induced vertical break, though his results with the pitch weren't great and some scouts thought the pitch had just average life. Jobe's mid-80s changeup is a potential plus pitch that generated whiffs at a 42% rate, with impressive drop and solid feel. He also infrequently throws an upper-70s curveball that is less impressive than his slider, but gives him four legitimate pitches to round out his arsenal. Working off the natural downhill plane from his lanky frame, Jobe's natural athleticism and a mix of clean mechanics and easy velocity give him above-average future control grades.
  
  The Future: Over time, the Tigers have worked to perfect their ability to individualize a player's development track, as opposed to simply fast-tracking him through the pipeline. While Jobe's arsenal and mature understanding of his craft could help him rise faster than most high school pitchers, don't be surprised if the Tigers take their time with him to ensure both health and proper physical development. After beginning his professional career in 2022, Jobe spent just three outings in the High-A Midwest League to end the regular season, so a return to the Whitecaps to start the 2023 season is likely.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 70. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: The son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson carried Heritage Hall High to the Oklahoma 4A state championship as its star shortstop and top pitcher in 2021. His two-way exploits and pro promise helped him earn the BA High School Player of the Year award that season. Despite his natural ability as a position player, Jobe's top billing as the best high school pitcher in his class led the Tigers to select him third overall as a righthander. Detroit signed him for $6.9 million, about 96% of the slot value of $7.2 million. Jobe did not pitch after signing and made his pro debut with 18 starts for Low-A Lakeland in 2022. The Tigers promoted him to High-A West Michigan on Aug. 27, and in his final six starts of the season for Lakeland and West Michigan he recorded a 1.91 ERA while striking out 25, walking nine and allowing a .185 opponent average in 28.1 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe stands at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a projectable, athletic frame and is expected to add a good deal of strength as his body continues to fill out. His most highly developed offering is a plus-plus, low-80s slider that combines depth and impressive spin, regularly surpassing 3,000 rpm. Despite his slider's tremendous horizontal break, Jobe has shown an ability to locate the pitch--though some scouts believed the consistency of his command could improve. His four-seam fastball averaged 94 mph in 2022 and has been up to 97, with around 17 inches of induced vertical break, though his results with the pitch weren't great and some scouts thought the pitch had just average life. Jobe's mid-80s changeup is a potential plus pitch that generated whiffs at a 42% rate, with impressive drop and solid feel. He also infrequently throws an upper-70s curveball that is less impressive than his slider, but gives him four legitimate pitches to round out his arsenal. Working off the natural downhill plane from his lanky frame, Jobe's natural athleticism and a mix of clean mechanics and easy velocity give him above-average future control grades.
  
  The Future: Over time, the Tigers have worked to perfect their ability to individualize a player's development track, as opposed to simply fast-tracking him through the pipeline. While Jobe's arsenal and mature understanding of his craft could help him rise faster than most high school pitchers, don't be surprised if the Tigers take their time with him to ensure both health and proper physical development. After beginning his professional career in 2022, Jobe spent just three outings in the High-A Midwest League to end the regular season, so a return to the Whitecaps to start the 2023 season is likely.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 70. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson carried Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City) High to the Oklahoma 4A state championship as its star shortstop and top pitcher and won BA&#39s 2021 High School Player of the Year award. Though he had pro potential as a position player, he was the best high school pitcher in the class, leading the Tigers to select him third overall as a pitcher and sign him for $6.9 million to forgo his commitment to Mississippi. Jobe did not pitch after signing and did not take part in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe stands at a projectable 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and has plenty of room to add strength and fill out his frame. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and touches 96 with solid movement. His primary weapon is a plus-plus, high-spin slider with depth and bite that he expertly locates to both sides of the plate. His low-80s changeup with late dive is steadily improving and shows plus potential, and his above-average spike curveball with 11-to-5 break and depth could improve the more he works it into his arsenal. Jobe repeats his low-effort delivery and clean arm action for above-average control and is an excellent athlete with an advanced feel for pitching on the mound.
  
  The Future: Jobe&#39s arsenal and mature understanding of his craft could help him rise faster than most high school pitchers. He has at least mid-rotation potential and will begin his pro career in 2022.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 70. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe, Jackson carried Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City) High to the Oklahoma 4A state championship as its star shortstop and top pitcher and won BA’s 2021 High School Player of the Year award. Though he had pro potential as a position player, he was the best high school pitcher in the class, leading the Tigers to select him third overall as a pitcher and sign him for $6.9 million to forgo his commitment to Mississippi. Jobe did not pitch after signing and did not take part in instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Jobe stands at a projectable 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and has plenty of room to add strength and fill out his frame. His fastball sits 92-94 mph and touches 96 with solid movement. His primary weapon is a plus-plus, high-spin slider with depth and bite that he expertly locates to both sides of the plate. His low-80s changeup with late dive is steadily improving and shows plus potential, and his above-average spike curveball with 11-to-5 break and depth could improve the more he works it into his arsenal. Jobe repeats his low-effort delivery and clean arm action for above-average control and is an excellent athlete with an advanced feel for pitching on the mound.
  
  The Future: Jobe’s arsenal and mature understanding of his craft could help him rise faster than most high school pitchers. He has at least mid-rotation potential and will begin his pro career in 2022.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  While some expected Detroit to go with a position player in the 2021 draft, the Tigers opted instead for Jobe, the clear-cut top high school pitcher in the class. Jobe operates with a four-pitch arsenal that includes a plus fastball and an above-average changeup. But it's the slider that's the jewel in many scouts' eyes—a potentially 70-grade pitch already with impressive spin rates. Scouts are even optimistic Jobe's high-70s curveball, which is just slightly above-average, could continue to progress thanks to its developing shape and his continued physical maturation.