Tigers call up Jackson Jobe, MLB's top-ranked pitching prospect
Jason Beck
@beckjasonDETROIT -- The TigersĄ¯ postseason chances, which have soared from less than 1 percent just over a month ago to 71 percent, according to FanGraphs, are about to get another boost: baseballĄ¯s top pitching prospect. Right-hander Jackson Jobe, baseballĄ¯s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was called up on Tuesday morning to aid Detroit's postseason charge. Veteran righty Shelby Miller was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Jobe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, will work out of the bullpen, an area where the Tigers could use a fresh arm as well as more strikeouts. Detroit has leaned heavily on its relievers throughout its surprise charge into the American League Wild Card race, from openers to bulk relievers. The Tigers lead the Majors in innings from their bullpen this season, including 48 1/3 innings more than the next-closest team since Aug. 1 (though that includes starters used as bulk relievers).
Jobe, who will wear No. 21 with the Tigers, has been exclusively a starter throughout his pro career, but his inning of relief for the Tigers in Spring Training made an impression throughout baseball, from a 100.6 mph fastball to a wipeout changeup. DonĄ¯t expect that kind of stuff at the end of a long season, but the Tigers believe his arsenal can help them close out a Wild Card berth and clinch their first postseason trip since 2014. The Tigers control their fate with a one-game lead for the final Wild Card spot heading into a six-game homestand against the Rays and White Sox.
Jobe, who turned 22 on July 30, owns a 5-3 record and a 2.36 ERA over 21 starts across three Minor League levels. The bulk of his work came at Double-A Erie, where he went 4-2 with a 1.95 ERA over 16 starts. He allowed just 42 hits over 73 2/3 innings for the SeaWolves, walking 38 batters and striking out 81.
The Tigers promoted Jobe to Triple-A Toledo on Sept. 8, and he's allowed six runs on 12 hits over nine innings across two starts, with five walks and seven strikeouts. While he showed the growing pains of facing advanced professional hitting, he also showed that his stuff can play.
Jobe most recently pitched for the Mud Hens on Friday against Columbus, throwing 86 pitches across five innings of two-run ball. He probably won't be available for Tuesday's series opener against Tampa Bay, but the Tigers are unlikely to need him anyway with ace Tarik Skubal starting.
JobeĄ¯s services could be more intriguing for Wednesday and Thursday, when the Tigers have Keider Montero and Reese Olson starting, respectively. Montero has thrown 9 2/3 innings over his past two starts, both against Baltimore, since his three-hit shutout against Colorado on Sept. 10. Olson has thrown 5 1/3 innings across two starts since returning from the injured list on Sept. 16, and he paired with Brant Hurter in essentially a piggyback start Saturday in Baltimore.
If the Tigers can clinch a Wild Card spot, Jobe could potentially be added to DetroitĄ¯s postseason roster, though he wasnĄ¯t on the 40-man roster on Aug. 31. Players not on the 40-man roster but in the organization at the end of August can be added to a postseason roster via petition to the CommissionerĄ¯s Office as a replacement for a player on the injured list who has served the required minimum time. DetroitĄ¯s 60-day injured list includes right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long, who has been out all season recovering from Tommy John surgery.