LOS ANGELES -- Jackson Jobe finished a Major League game before he started one, having pitched the ninth inning in his debut last September against the Rays. He pitched in two tight games last postseason as a not-so-secret weapon of the Tigers¡¯ pitching chaos strategy.
¡°He pitched in the playoffs before he pitched in the rotation as one of the top prospects in baseball,¡± manager A.J. Hinch said. ¡°If that doesn't describe baseball in a nutshell.¡±
After all that, a starting role should seem simple, especially when Jobe was expected to win a job out of Spring Training. So why is it that Jobe was so elated at the news last weekend that he¡¯d won a rotation spot?
It¡¯s the role, and the responsibility that goes with it. It¡¯s the work that Jobe put into his offseason to improve his arsenal and earn coaches¡¯ trust. It¡¯s the tradition that comes with being a talented young starter for the Tigers, and the fraternity he is joining.
¡°That smile on his face when I got to tell him that he's going to pitch in Seattle is very special for a manager and a pitching coach,¡± Hinch said, ¡°to see the joy in a player's face.¡±
All those emotions that Jobe experienced when he took the mound at Comerica Park last September, and again in Houston during the Wild Card Series, are about to resurface Monday night at T-Mobile Park for his first MLB start in his third appearance (or fifth if you include the postseason). And he¡¯s embracing it.
¡°I think being kind of thrown into the fire last year will definitely make starts a lot easier, just knowing that I've been in some of the biggest situations you can be in,¡± he said. ¡°But I'll still have those butterflies and everything before every start, which is what I love. It makes it so fun. It'll be cool.
¡°I'll be nervous for sure. It'll be awesome. I'll have some family, some people there. But it'll be exciting. This is what I worked my whole life for, just feel blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to go out there and pitch for this team.¡±
Jobe, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 5 prospect overall and No. 2 pitching prospect, will take the mound as a different pitcher than the one who faced the Astros and Guardians in smaller doses last October. He has widened his repertoire with a tumbling curveball designed to play off his fastball and draw more swinging strikes. Add that to his upper-90s fastball, sinker, cutter, changeup and sweeper, and he has a half-dozen different pitches to throw at Mariners hitters, depending on the situation.
¡°I feel like the physical stuff is all there,¡± Jobe said last week. ¡°Now it's just kinda mentally dialing in what I'm trying to do with each pitch. Over the course of the season, things are going to feel off, or sometimes you'll feel better than others. So it's just getting in the five-day routine and getting into the rhythm of things. I feel comfortable. I feel like my stuff's in a good spot. Now it's just time to go out there and execute.¡±
That routine started this week. Jobe has had five days to think about how to attack the Mariners, who ranked ahead of only the White Sox in batting average last season and have struggled out of the gate this week against the Athletics.
¡°He hasn¡¯t asked a ton of questions,¡± Hinch said. ¡°He hasn¡¯t even asked me who¡¯s catching him yet. I think he¡¯s sort of staying within his routine. He¡¯ll watch some video. He¡¯ll get himself underway. I think the Sunday off-day before his start will be the hardest for him, just because of the eagerness to get on the mound. I think all these guys have a good anxiousness to get on the mound and get their season underway.¡±
There¡¯s definitely prep work involved. But with Jobe, there¡¯s also the confidence to trust in his stuff and force hitters to adjust to him.
¡°Really just to trust my stuff over the plate,¡± Jobe said. ¡°There's certain things that I can continue to work on with [pitching coach Chris Fetter] and continue to dial in my command on certain pitches, but for the most part, I feel pretty good. I feel confident. I felt I can be a lot better, but I'm happy with how I felt, happy with how I threw the ball.¡±