Pirates' Jared Jones Shows He Clearly Needs More Time in Minors
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PITTSBURGH — Jared Jones is one pitcher the Pittsburgh Pirates can't wait to get back in their rotation, but showed in his most recent outing that he needs more time to be at his best.
Jones made his first start for Triple-A Indianapolis on his rehab assignment at Victory Field on May 6, facing Omaha, Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, in the first game of a doubleheader that got moved up a day after a rain delay.
He threw three innings, but gave up five hits, a walk and an earned run over 54 pitches and posted two strikeouts.
Jones did some things well, but some of his issues show that he isn't quite ready for a return to the Pirates.
How Jones' Start at Triple-A Transpired
Jones had a relatively quick first inning, 13 pitches, which saw him allow a base runner on an error from shortstop Alika Williams, but then first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. made a great snag and touched first base for the double play to end the frame.
He started off his second inning with back-to-back strikeouts, the first coming on a 99.5 mph four-seam fastball and a curveball in the dirt for the second one, but then gave up back-to-back hits before escaping unscathed with a ground out.
Jones gave up a leadoff single to former Pirates infielder Kevin Newman in the top of the third inning. He got an out at second base in the next at-bat, but then gave up another single and walked a batter to load the bases.
He then got a ground ball that deflected off of Flores' glove to second baseman Termarr Johnson, but Jones couldn't catch the ball when he got to the first base bag to get the out, which scored a run.
Flores helped Jones out once again in the next at-bat, as he got a ground ball and threw it home for the force out and then catcher Endy Rodríguez threw it right back to Flores for the inning-ending double play.
Where Jones Can Improve From This Outing
Jones made this just his second start on his rehab assignment, as he threw three perfect innings with five strikeouts over 40 pitches for Single-A Bradenton back on April 29.
He relied on his four-seam fastball in this start, which he got five whiffs on, but also allowed six batted ball events, three hits and two hard hits.
His changeup also wasn't as effective as he would've liked, with two hard hits on that and one hit allowed over just seven pitches.
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 25/54 (46%) | 98.8 mph |
Slider | 14/54 (26%) | 89.9 mph |
Changeup | 7/54 (13%) | 92.9 mph |
Curveball | 5/54 (9%) | 85.7 mph |
Sinker | 3/54 (6%) | 94.1 mph |
The jump in level of competition from Single-A to Triple-A is quite drastic, particularly with more veteran batters who are accustomed to seeing pitchers like Jones in the major leagues and also in Triple-A.
Jones loves to throw his fastball, which is understandable, as he can reach a high velocity with it, but it can become a detriment if teams start to sit on it and swing on it in the strike zone.
He did pretty well with his slider, with three whiffs on six swings and two batted ball events that resulted in outs.
If he can use his offspeed pitches along with his fastball more effectively, Jones has the stuff to easily overpower minor league hitters.
Jones still can't officially come back to the Pirates until May 26, the first day he is off the 60-day injured list, but it's also okay if he needs more time to become the dominant pitcher he was while healthy as a rookie in 2024.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.