Jobe to make MLB spring training debut Tuesday
LAKELAND, Fla. – Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, is scheduled to make his first spring training appearance Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.
The game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland will be televised on Bally Sports Detroit. It marks Jobe’s first career appearance in MLB spring training.
The Tigers have already told Jobe he won’t make the Opening Day roster, and he is expected to be reassigned to minor-league camp soon, but he will come back to the big-league side for one or two innings against the Twins.
Jobe, 21, could make his MLB debut in the second half of the season. The Tigers have slowly ramped up his throwing volume with that possibility in mind, while also keeping in mind that he missed the first two-plus months of last season with a back injury.
But Jobe is thinking of his MLB debut, too. “I want to impress people, but I don’t need to go out there and try to do too much,” Jobe said. “I’m a lot more mature in that aspect. I understand that it’s a long season. My goal is to pitch in October. February or March is great, but I’ll do anything to pitch in October.”
For the Tigers in October, right?
“Yeah, 100%,” Jobe said.
Ultimately, Jobe needs to continue his dominant performances in the minor leagues.
He returned from the back injury in midJune and combined for a 2.82 ERA with 11 walks (3.4% walk rate) and 103 strikeouts (31.7% strikeout rate) across 792⁄3 innings in 20 starts last season, spanning five levels from the Florida Complex League to the Arizona Fall League.
Jobe finished the regular season with one start for Double-A Erie, then transitioned to the AFL for an additional 152⁄3 innings across four starts to help offset the time he missed while injured.
It’s unclear where the Tigers will send Jobe to begin the 2024 season, but it won’t be the big leagues.
Jobe, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, ranks as the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, trailing outfielder Max Clark and second baseman Colt Keith. He ranks as the No. 25 prospect in baseball and the third-best pitching prospect, behind only Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (the No. 1 pick last summer) and San Francisco Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison.
Rest of prospects get to shine in Spring Breakout game vs. Phillies
The roster has been finalized ... for the prospects, that is.
One of the most anticipated games of spring training is the inaugural Spring Breakout showcase. The Detroit Tigers are playing against the Philadelphia Phillies in a prospectonly matchup, scheduled for 1:05 p.m. March 16 at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.
Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell, who was drafted by the Tigers, played 20 MLB seasons for the franchise and managed the bigleague team from 2003-05, will manage the Tigers’ squad.
“A lot of pressure on Tram,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, trying his best to act serious. “We handed him as good of a roster as we can hand him, with the exception of a few who aren’t going to play. We’ve got a lot of talent, but all eyes on Tram. Let’s make sure he uses the roster the way it was built. We’ll see.”
Hinch broke out in laughter.
Of course, he was joking around.
“I can’t say it with a straight face,” Hinch said.
Then Hinch tipped his cap to Trammell, a special assistant in the front office who has dedicated the past decade to training young players in the organization.
“It’s great for him,” Hinch said, “and it’ll be great for the kids, too. He’s amazing. Getting him with our guys was a perfect fit.”
The Spring Breakout roster has 27 players, headlined by 15 prospects on the Tigers’ top-30 list (as ranked by MLB Pipeline): Max Clark (No. 1), Jace Jung (No. 4), Ty Madden (No. 5), Kevin McGonigle (No. 7), Wilmer Flores (No. 10), Troy Melton (No. 12), Justice Bigbie (No. 13), Dillon Dingler (No. 14), Hao-Yu Lee (No. 15), Brant Hurter (No. 16), Max Anderson (No. 18), Josue Briceno (No. 19), Wenceel Pérez (No. 21), Roberto Campos (No. 25) and Cristian Santana (No. 27).
Two of those prospects made MLB Pipeline’s most recent top-100 prospects list: Clark (No. 13) and Jung (No. 60).
“We have an opportunity to let players that aren’t going to play together at affiliates play together on the same field,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “We have Flying Tigers playing with SeaWolves playing with Mud Hens, all on the same field. It gives us an opportunity to create some culture within our farm system and allow these guys to play together.”
Top pitching prospects Jackson Jobe (No. 3) and Keider Montero (No. 9) won’t be available for the Spring Breakout game because of assignments in MLB spring training games.
Montero is pitching March 15 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Spring Breakout game between the Tigers and Phillies can be watched for free in several ways: MLB Digital (MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App), Tigers.com and ESPN+. The game is also available to listeners on Phillies radio, via the MLB app.
“I know Major League Baseball is trying to get even more exposure for these guys,” Hinch said. “Young players that are in the minor leagues on their way to the big leagues are getting more and more attention. They’re getting more love. They’re getting featured in so many ways. That’s good for the game. These guys are going to be the next great players, so the faster that our industry can get to know them and our fans can get to know, it’s pretty awesome.
“I’m glad it’s pushed back a little bit into the spring. The only thing that is nerve-racking is the game-readiness of players who are not in big-league camp, specifically the pitchers. We’ve known for a long time that this game is going, and we want to make sure we feature really talented players across the organization for our fans to see, sometimes for the first time.”