Jackson Jobe signs with Tigers
What Jackson Jobe did this year is incredible.
As a pitcher, he struck out 122 batters and walked … five.
As a batter, he hit .469 with 7 bombs.
The @RoadtoDetroit first rounder is our 2021 High School Player of the Year.https://t.co/2IyoiiaZgr pic.twitter.com/XmiucimIkE
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica)
DETROIT — Jackson Jobe and Izaac Pacheco have played against each other since they were 14, and became friends at the All-American game at Wrigley Field last fall. They talked on the phone repeatedly about their experiences going through the Draft process, and they ended up selecting the same agent to advise them.
“They’re great at developing young pitchers,” Jobe said of the Tigers, “but I think also great at developing young players in general. The first day I came in, the first few guys I met, I just felt comfortable and felt at home. It felt like this place was the right place for me, and the place that I was meant to be.”
All of the deals were expected. Jobe, a Scott Boras client, and his family have been in Lakeland since Monday working out the final details while he underwent his physical. Jobe has met with player development officials and pitching instructors to start working out a plan for the rest of the summer.
First-round comp pick Ty Madden, who signed earlier this week in Detroit, will not pitch this summer after an extended season for the University of Texas that ended in the College World Series. Jobe had a shorter season in high school, where his wipeout slider and mid-90s fastball sent him skyrocketing up Draft boards. He last pitched in a game on May 14, the final game of his high school career.
The slider, with spin rates that were incredible for a high schooler, will create plenty of intrigue whenever Jobe does take the mound. He went 9-0 with a 0.13 ERA over 51 2/3 innings at Heritage Hall High School, racking up 122 strikeouts against just five walks. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in his state.
The deals fit into the framework of a flurry of signings by the Tigers since completing the Draft just over a week ago. Detroit has agreed to terms with 15 of its 21 picks, including 10 of its top 11 selections. The only pick yet to agree within the top 10 rounds is third-rounder Dylan Smith, a right-hander who pitched at the University of Alabama.
The Tigers have $403,100 left in their Draft pool; the slot value for their third-round pick is $844,200. Teams that exceed their Draft allotment by 5 percent or less pay a 75 percent penalty on the overage, but don’t forfeit future picks. Teams that go 5 percent or more over their allotment forfeit future picks as well as pay penalties.