Detroit Tigers' top pitching prospect, Jackson Jobe, is slated to make his debut appearance in spring training on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.
This is Jobe's inaugural appearance in MLB spring training. Although the Tigers have informed Jobe that he won't secure a spot on the Opening Day roster, as he is anticipated to be reassigned to minor-league camp shortly, he will return to the big-league side to pitch for one or two innings against the Twins.
Facing off against Kerry Carpenter
The 25th prospect in baseball faced off at camp against Kerry Carpenter in the backfields of Tigertown. Up until Tuesday, neither had encountered such formidable competition in Spring Training. This encounter proved to be a valuable learning opportunity for both players.
“I got to face him a good amount of times,” Jobe said.
“It was fun, for sure. I got some good feedback.”
As Jobe gleaned insights into what it takes to thrive against Major League hitters, Carpenter gained some valuable knowledge about the future of Detroit’s rotation. “He got me a couple of times,” Carpenter admitted, “but as time went on, I started to read him a bit better. But that guy’s pretty good. I hope he’s in Detroit here soon.”
During his second live batting practice session of camp, Jobe squared off against Carpenter and catcher Carson Kelly. This time, they simulated game scenarios, tracking balls and strikes while letting at-bats progress organically.
Unsurprisingly, the 21-year-old remained unfazed.
Eyeing October
Jobe also has his sights set on his MLB debut. “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.”
Jobe, selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, currently holds the No. 3 spot in the Tigers' prospect rankings, as per MLB Pipeline. He trails outfielder Max Clark and second baseman Colt Keith in the rankings.
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