Jackson Jobe shows why he deserves Tigers roster spot after Pitching Ninja appearance

If Jackson Jobe's spring debut last week was a bit of a mixed bag, his second outing left little room for doubt that he belongs in the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day rotation.

Jobe got the start on the mound Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and threw an efficient 29 pitches over three innings of work. He threw 21 of those pitches for strikes, including three punchouts. He gave up a pair of hits, and his only earned run was the solo homer he gave up to Pirates catcher Henry Davis in the bottom of the third inning.

According to Baseball Savant, Jobe's 29 pitches to the Pirates included a mix of 16 fastballs (which topped out at 100 mph), six sweepers, four changeups and three cutters. However, Jobe told reporters, including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, that the cutters were actually sliders and the sweepers were actually curveballs.

“It’s probably still sweeping a little bit, but it’s got way more depth than it did last year,” Jobe said of his curveball (via Petzold). “It’s got some sweep and some depth.”

Tigers' Jackson Jobe shows why he deserves a rotation spot in second spring start

Jobe is one of four pitchers competing for the final two spots in the Tigers' Opening Day rotation, along with Keider Montero, Casey Mize and Kenta Maeda. Detroit isn't promising those spots to anyone, but given the injury to offseason free agent acquisition Alex Cobb, it feels like a no-brainer that Jobe should break camp with the club.

Plus, doesn't it help to earn a cameo on the Pitching Ninja account? Jobe's nasty sweeper was showcased during Sunday's game.

Jobe made his big league debut last season and even pitched for the Tigers out of the bullpen during the playoffs (admittedly, to poor results). In addition to being a hard thrower who regularly hits triple digits on the radar gun, he has excellent command and a strong pitch mix – all of which become even more impressive when you remember that he's just 22 years old.

The No. 5 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, Jobe has the makings of an elite, front-end starter if he can stay healthy. If he continues on his current trajectory, there should be little doubt that he will begin the 2025 season in Detroit's starting rotation.

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