Jackson Jobe. Holy #!@% did he make heads turn.

In Lakeland, Florida, as the Detroit Tigers’ Spring Training progresses, a sense of routine settles in, veering towards monotony. The initial excitement of pitchers and catchers reporting has faded, giving way to the repetitive grind of workouts and drills. Players, coaches, and fans alike feel the lull, with the novelty of being back on the diamond wearing thin. Enter Jackson Jobe, making his first Major League Spring Training appearance.

Wearing number 78, Jobe came out firing in the 9th to earn the save in the Tigers 1-0 win over Minnesota. 13 pitches, nine strikes, and five swings and misses. He was commanding his fastball, changeup, cutter, and a sweeper, which has more left to right movement, thus, the “sweeping” across the strike zone, compared to a regular slider, which has more of a tighter break. He threw the pitch twice, one he got contact and the other, around 0:29 mark here, a swing and miss.

Jackson Jobe works a perfect 9th inning and looks absolutely terrifying in the process. pic.twitter.com/5gNwSEhcuU

— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrown0914) March 12, 2024

Jobe was able to change eye levels effectively, with the fastball riding the top of the zone at 102MPH and the changeup going down to 86 MPH. (data courtesy of Baseball Savant) and when you can get that going from the same release point, it makes it very difficult for the batter to pick up.

Strong performance by rotation

The rest of the Tigers pitchers combined for 29 swings and misses on the afternoon. Kenta Maeda provided a bulk of them with 13. Alex Faedo, who continues to have a strong spring, pitched another pair of scoreless innings and struck out two. He now hasn’t allowed a run since his first appearance of the spring back on February 25.

Jobe’s performance was a reminder of the potential and excitement that Spring Training can hold. For a moment, the monotony was forgotten, and the focus shifted to the promise of what this young pitcher could bring to the Tigers’ season. It was a much-needed break from the routine, a glimpse of the talent brewing within the team’s ranks, and a sign that, despite the grind, there are always moments of brilliance to look forward to, even if the stats don’t matter.

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