Detroit Tigers: An ode to Jacoby Jones

The Detroit Tigers recently designated JaCoby Jones for assignment. We look back at his career in Detroit and the memories he provided to me as a fan.

In one of the final moves by David Dombrowski made as Detroit Tigers GM, on July 15, 2015, he traded Joakim Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates for JaCoby Jones, who was playing the infield for the Altoona Curve.

Jones would split time in between two seasons of Arizona fall ball, Erie and Toledo. The day he hit the first home run of his Double-A career in Erie was a special one. He would go on to hit three home runs that day against the New Britain Rock Cats.

Another favorite memory of mine was he being mic’d up during a March spring training this year against the Phillies. Videos like this can be cheesy but this a great behind the scenes on a player before and during a game.

JaCoby Jones broke into the Major Leagues just as the Detroit Tigers competitive window was closing. He played 13 games in 2016 when the Tigers went 86-75, good for a second-place finish in the American League Central.

Since then, Jones and the Tigers have limped through five years together in a rollercoaster marriage. The team has gone just 222-380, good for a meager .369 winning percentage. Despite the team’s struggles, Jones has been a fan favorite over the years and it is sad to see him go. I am going to break down Jones’ time here in Detroit through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good on JaCoby Jones in a Detroit Tigers uniform

JaCoby Jones never batted over .268 in a season and posted a .212 batting average with the Detroit Tigers, but he showed flashes of what could have been during various points of his career. One stretch that stands out, in particular, is Jones’s 12-game hitting streak in late May and early June of 2019. After doing some digging, I found a Detroit Free Press article by Anthony French referencing this particular stretch. In the span of 14 games, Jones batted .420 with 4 home runs and 20 RBIs. Until 2021, Jones always seemed to have one similar stretch in him each season, giving the fans hope that he would put it all together for a full season at some point.

In addition to his streaky outbursts from the batter’s box, JaCoby Jones made some stellar catches from his spot in centerfield. All one has to do is go on Twitter and search “Jacoby Jones Catch” to see an abundance of web gems from the outfielder.

Here Jones races back to the wall and takes a long-ball away from future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers. Once again, plays like this gave the Detroit Tigers’ faithful fans hope that he would pan out into something special.

The Ugly of JaCoby Jones in a Detroit Tigers uniform

Let’s be honest, there has been a lot of ugly with regarding the Detroit Tigers as of late. Jacoby Jones has been subject to his fair share over his six-year tenure with the team. His most recent stretch of play embodied “The Ugly”. Through 36 games with the club this season, Jones slashed a paltry .170/.210/.250 and had already racked up a -0.6 WAR. He had 42 strikeouts to just 5 walks. Despite all of this, Jones still flashed his talents at times. One game that stood out was May 4th against the Boston Red Sox, where Jones hit a three-run shot and made a dazzling catch in Center Field.

Throughout his time in a Tigers uniform, Jacoby Jones’ Achilles heel was injuries. In his six seasons, Jones had six stints on the Injured List, including two trips to the 60-Day IL. The most devastating trip was during the 2020 season when the Tigers were in the midst of a six-game winning streak. Jones was the spark plug of the team and they sank to the bottom of the league in his absence.

Despite all of the struggles, Tigers fans must thank Jacoby Jones for his service with the team and his resiliency for sticking with one of the worst teams in baseball over the past six years.

Enjoy this inside the park home run from Jones as his exit gift to the fans.