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topicnews · September 24, 2024

Why the Detroit Tigers nominated Jackson Jobe as a reliever

Why the Detroit Tigers nominated Jackson Jobe as a reliever

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Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch, president of baseball operations Scott Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg discussed the possibility of drafting top pitcher Jackson Jobe to launch an out-of-nowhere push into the postseason.

Harris brought the idea to the table.

“It was pretty clear he could help us,” Hinch said.

For this reason, the Tigers – in win-now mode – promoted Jobe from Triple-A Toledo for his MLB debut.

JEFF SEIDEL: Jackson Jobe to the Tigers? Oh man, this great week just got better

Jobe, a 22-year-old right-hander, will be a key part of the Tigers’ starting lineup in the near future, likely as soon as Opening Day 2025, but until then, Hinch will use him as a “bullpen piece for this final week and beyond.” The Tigers have six games left in the regular season to secure a wild-card spot in the American League and then up to 22 games in the postseason.

The postseason begins on October 1st.

“We’re going to use him similarly to how we’ve worked other young pitchers,” Hinch said before Tuesday’s opener of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. “I’m going to try to find the best situation for him. I don’t know what situation he’s going to take or what situation is going to come first for him. I don’t know exactly what day, either.”

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar”your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple,Spotify) ]

However, Hinch expects Jobe to make his MLB debut at some point in the series against the Rays, in which left-hander Tarik Skubal (Tuesday), right-hander Keider Montero (Wednesday) and right-hander Reese Olson (Thursday) will start.

Almost all other pitchers are available from the bullpen, including right-hander Casey Mize. Only two players not in the starting lineup will be unavailable for Tuesday’s game: left-hander Brant Hurter and right-hander Ty Madden.

“This is the closest thing I can do to reveal my truth,” Hinch said.

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As for Jobe, the Tigers will not use him as a starting pitcher at the end of the regular season and in the postseason, meaning he will pitch in shorter assignments.

His preparation won’t change, but his individual throws – fastball, cutter, sweeper, changeup – will be different. For example, his fastball averaged 96.5 mph as a starter at Triple-A Toledo, but with the Tigers as a reliever it should be closer to 100 mph.

“I might only manage one inning,” Jobe said. “I’ll definitely give it my all.”

SPRING TRAINING: Tigers talent Jackson Jobe shows “pretty special stuff” in his Grapefruit League debut

Pitching out of the bullpen will be a relatively new experience for Jobe. He said he worked “a little bit” as a relief pitcher in high school before the Tigers selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, but he has only had one relief experience since then.

“I feel good about it,” Jobe said. “I did it in spring training and felt good.”

Six months ago, Jobe entered the game as a ninth-inning pitcher for the Tigers in a spring training game on March 12. He retired all three batters he faced, struck out two batters, threw nine of 13 pitches for strikes and caused five whiffs on seven hits.

What is particularly notable is that his fastball reached a top speed of 101.8 miles per hour.

Can he still throw at 102 miles per hour?

“We’ll see,” said Jobe.

MEET HIM: MLB’s top pitching talent is set to make his Tigers debut

After spring training, Jobe posted a 2.36 ERA with 45 walks (12% walk rate) and 96 strikeouts (25.6% strikeout rate) in 91⅔ innings in 21 starts in the minor leagues at three levels. He started just two games in Triple-A Toledo, allowing six runs in nine innings.

The Tigers had always planned at least 100 innings for 2024.

As October approaches, Jobe is about to make his MLB debut as the Tigers look to put the finishing touches on their push to the postseason. If the Tigers advance, he will be eligible to pitch in the postseason.

“We’re trying to do everything we can to use our best guys in the best situations to win as many games as possible,” Hinch said. “Jackson is a talented kid. He’s worked his way through the minor leagues. He has some of the most electrifying qualities in the game. Bringing him here means we believe we can get better. It means we believe he can help us win. We’re going to use everything we can to win as many games as possible.”

Goodbye, Shelby Miller

The Tigers cut ties with right-handed reliever Shelby Miller, a 12-year MLB veteran, to make room for Jobe on the 28-man roster, and he learned he would be designated for assignment during a meeting Sunday night with Hinch and Harris.

Miller had a 4.53 ERA with 13 walks and 49 strikeouts in 55⅔ innings in 51 relief appearances. He thrived against left-handed pitchers and had a 1.15 ERA in his final 15⅔ innings.

“His usage had gone down,” Hinch said. “I hadn’t used him much. I hadn’t even used him in Baltimore, and the decision hadn’t even been made about what we were going to do at that point. We were just all hands on deck trying to get as many outs as possible, and it was becoming increasingly clear that he was slipping further and further down the line.”

Miller, 33, signed a one-year, $3 million contract last offseason that included a $4.25 million club option for the 2025 season. He will become a free agent again.

Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show, “Days of Roar,” every Monday afternoon on demand on freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And check out all of our podcasts and the daily speech recap at freep.com/podcasts.

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