Jake Holton Scouting Report
Physical Description: Jake Holton was drafted out of Creighton in the 10th round in 2019. He has played 1B, LF, and RF as a position player and has even pitched a few innings, though most of his time has been at 1B. Listed at 6’0” and 210 lbs, his lower half looks thick and strong when standing in the box.
Hit: 45
Consistently takes his walks and was among the lowest swinging strike rates in AA last year. His biggest flaw is that he hits too many groundballs. His strikeouts also had an increase last year despite being 2 years older than the average competition and repeating AA.
Power: 45
He does have a little pop in his bat. His 14 HRs had him 11th amongst qualified hitters in the Eastern League. He had consistently been at the 13.0%-14.0% HR/FB range, last year he jumped that to 17.1%, which could be the reason for the jump in Ks.
Speed: 35
He’s had 23 SB attempts in his minor league career and was successful 13 times. Had him at 4.91 from home to first, but that was him letting up some after the 1B had the ball and got the out.
Defense: 50
An honorable mention in the tools series (https -//tigersmlreport.com/2024/12/12/detroit-tigers-minor-leagues-best-defense/), Holton has decent range and rarely makes errors. He is able to pick the ball well and is smart about getting to his spot.
Arm: 55
Holton hit 83 and 84 on the radar gun while pitching his only inning in 2024, which would be elite at 1B. His arm has plenty of fire power behind it to make a throw nearly anywhere in the infield.
Overall: Holton is a quality baseball player who does most of the things the Tigers value. He controls the strike zone and contributes on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, his offensive tools are a little light, and being a good defender at first base isn’t usually enough to move the needle. He fits squarely in the emergency call-up category.
Rogelio Castillo