Jackson Jobe Scouting Report
Background: Drafted with the 3rd overall pick in 2021, Jackson Jobe is the son of professional golfer Brandt Jobe. Jackson was a multi-sport athlete in high school, winning a state title as a quarterback, and spending most of his time on the diamond as a shortstop. He transitioned to pitching as an upperclassman. Sped through the minor leagues, despite back and hamstring injuries costing him portions of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Made his MLB debut late in 2024, and saw action as a reliever in the playoffs.
Physical Description: Jobe has gained a significant amount of good mass since signing in 2021, while maintaining his fluidity and plus athleticism. He shows good balance on the mound, with a very quick arm, and he has no trouble repeating his delivery from a traditional 3/4 arm slot. He generally finishes square to the plate, though he will occasionally fall slightly toward first base. Jobe fields his position well and he has a good, quick pickoff move to first.
Fastball: 60
Jobe’s fastball has improved across the board over the last two seasons. It now sits in the 96-98 MPH range, and has touched triple digits in shorter stints. It boasts above-average spin rates, and Jobe adjusted the shape of the pitch to get more ride and run at the top of the zone, with an average induced vertical break of nearly 18 inches. Prior to the 2025 season Jobe added a 2-seam fastball. It shows occasional explosive armside run, and it mimics the horizontal movement of his fastball.
Curve: 55
Jackson Jobe added a curve prior to the 2025 season. It’s a promising offering, albeit a little inconsistent. Much like his once signature sweeping slider, it sits in the 83-86 MPH range with spin rates consistently topping 3,000 RPM. It’s a slurvy, two-plane breaker with 11-5 shape, and he shows nascent feel for locating it to both sides of the plate.
Changeup: 70
Arguably Jobe’s most consistent pitch, the changeup sits in the 84-8 m8ph range with plus fade and deception. He maintains his arm speed, is comfortable using the pitch against lefties and righties, and will double and triple up at times.
Cutter: 55
Added to Jobe’s arsenal in 2023, the cutter sits in the 90-94 mph range with short glove-side movement. It isn’t a bat misser, but he often breaks it out to help dial in his fastball command and induce weaker contact from hitters.
Command: 50
Jobe remains more of a control-over-command pitcher, but both his strike-throwing and pitch execution took steps forward in 2023 and 2024. He generally pounds the strike zone with all of his offerings, though he’s still developing his ability to locate the fastball to all quadrants. He shows above-average arm-side command of both his changeup and cutter, but is still dialing in his glove-side command of both offerings.
Overall: Jackson Jobe’s development has gone about as well as the Detroit Tigers could have hoped. He’s a hard worker who understands the craft of pitching and has taken steps to improve his game. He doesn’t generate nearly as many swings-and-misses as his pure stuff suggests he should, perhaps due to his below-average extension, but hitters still have a very difficult time doing damage against him. Durability remains a concern, with a lower-back injury sidelining him for three months in 2023, and a hamstring injury costing him six weeks in 2024. If he can stay healthy, his pure stuff and strike-throwing ability give him true frontline starter potential.
Updated 3/9/25
Rogelio Castillo