Velo view: Jobe’s bullpen session draws crowd
LAKELAND, Fla. – Six players crowded behind the mound on Friday morning, watching numbers appear on an analytics iPad, as the Detroit Tigers’ top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe threw a bullpen session.
But there was an added layer of fun, not to mention intensity and friendly competition. Right-hander Matt Manning, a former prospect turned big-league starter, was talking trash to the youngest pitcher in camp: Come on, you can throw harder!
“We were just there for Matt’s trash talk,” said right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long, another young starter with MLB experience.
Jobe didn’t disappoint.
His fastball hit 99 mph.
“He turned it on towards the end a little bit more, and more game speed, it’s electric,” said catcher Carson Kelly, who caught the bullpen. “When it comes out of his arm, it looks like it’s really fluid and easy, and then all of a sudden, it comes out of his hand really, really, really hot.” Jobe drew another type of crowd, too.
Yes, everybody stops and watches when Jobe is on the mound.
Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, sat behind Jobe as he pitched, watching his every move. Jobe has already been told that he won’t make the Opening Day roster, but that doesn’t diminish the excitement surrounding this young talent. The former No. 3 overall pick had a 2.82 ERA across 792⁄3 innings last season, and he could pitch for the Tigers in the second half of this season. “He looks like, what, 17?” Kelly joked.
Close — Jobe is 21.
“He’s got a really good arm,” Kelly said. “It’s electric, that’s for sure, and he has a plan, which is great. Some young guys come into camp and might be a little star-struck being in big-league camp, but he held his composure well. I really liked what I saw.”
Jobe, a right-hander who ranks as MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 prospect in baseball, was working on his slider location, specifically
where he should throw the pitch in two-strike counts.
“Little intricacies within the game of how we can make this a little bit sharper, like, ‘Where’s my sight line?’” Kelly said. “Things like that.”
Javier Báez takes Miguel Cabrera’s locker
Shortstop Javier Báez reported to spring training Sunday, but he didn’t spend his first full day in camp until Friday, two days before his mandatory report date.
He has Miguel Cabrera’s old locker in the clubhouse.
“It’s kind of weird getting his locker, first of all,” Báez said. “There are a few veterans here, and there are a lot of young guys who like to listen and learn from the older guys. I think I do a good job of staying close to them and around them, so hopefully, I play better this year and can take care of the whole team.”
Báez, 31, went through infield drills and took batting practice on the backfields. He was in a batting practice group with Akil Baddoo, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson.
Greene and Torkelson launched plenty of home runs.
Báez took multiple rounds of batting practice, but during his first time at the plate, he hit a few line drives to right-center field before using the whole field.
Báez, a former two-time All-Star slugger, doesn’t feel pressure to fill Cabrera’s shoes.
“I’m always going to be me, but I got to play better,” said Báez, who hit .222 with nine home runs in 136 games last season. “Miggy’s not playing, but he’s going to be around.”
A different Andrew Chafin
In the past, left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin wouldn’t throw a single pitch from the mound until arriving to spring training on the day pitchers and catchers are required to report, but this year wasn’t anything like previous years.
“I think I already found my slider a little bit,” Chafin said.
Chafin showed up to spring training Feb. 1 — nearly two weeks before his mandatory report date — after throwing several bullpens back home at Kent State. He has thrown an additional four bullpens and a live batting practice since arriving in Lakeland.
In 2023, Chafin posted a 4.73 ERA across 511⁄3 innings. He had a 3.05 ERA across 289 innings in 375 relief appearances over the prior six seasons, from 2017-22.
“I switched it up a little bit,” Chafin said of his offseason program. “Instead of long-tossing to build arm strength, I threw bullpens to build arm strength. I got the same work out of it, but I could actually start working on mechanics earlier.”
Shelby Miller’s new pitch
Right-handed reliever Shelby Miller completed his most recent bullpen session Thursday morning. He dominated hitters last season with a filthy fastball-splitter combination, both those aren’t the only pitches in his arsenal.
Miller also throws a sweeper and a bullet slider.
The bullet slider is new to his pitch mix. “I don’t like my sweeper against lefties that much,” Miller said, explaining his reason for adding the harder slider. “It’s to have something coming into left-handed hitters that I can still throw for a strike to a righty.”
In 2023, Miller threw 57.6% four-seam fastballs, 26.2% splitters and 16.1% sweepers. After Miller signed with the Tigers, pitching coach Chris Fetter approved his decision to add the bullet slider.
“It’s got some room to improve as far as consistency with the numbers of the break that we want to chase,” Miller said, “but overall, it’s pretty good.”
Colt Keith learns from Joey Cora
New third-base coach Joey Cora, who is praised for his elite understanding of how to train middle infielders, spent time with Colt Keith and Jace Jung at second base. He was teaching them how to turn double plays.
Keith, 22, is expected to be the Tigers’ Opening Day second baseman after signing a longterm contract extension in the offseason.
“Me never playing second base at a high level like this, the biggest thing is the double play,” Keith said, “working around the bag with the footwork. I worked a lot on the routine plays, and I got that down pretty well, so right now, the biggest thing to make strides on is working around the bag. That’s what we’re doing.”