Detroit Tigers Future Star is Cementing Himself as Rookie of the Year Contender
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe has the premium stuff to contend for Cy Young award one day. Now that he has two spring training outings in the books, he's looking like the player to beat in the American League Rookie of the Year race.
Jobe pitched three innings in a 10-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last Sunday, striking out three while giving up two hits. He allowed one run off a solo homer. He struck out two batters in the first inning, while touching 100 mph.
That's not even the good news, because the most important takeaway from that contest is Jobe threw 21 of his 29 pitches for strikes. In his first spring outing, the rookie struggled primarily because his command was off. Seeing him bounce back on that front is a great sign, and it increases his chances of making the Opening Day rotation. That's all Detroit's future star needs to be a factor in the AL Rookie of the Year race.
If the Tigers are going to knock off the New York Yankees in the playoffs, or beat a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, Detroit's pitching will carry that outcome. Jobe is the X-factor in that equation, he's the guy that can turn the Tigers quality rotation into a great one.
There's no doubt management knows that, which means they want him to open the year in a prominent role. If he does, he has all the tools to run away with the American League Rookie of the Year from the jump.
Detroit selected Jobe with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft, and he'll turn 23 years old at the end of July. He already has the upper 90's fastball with a sweeper that's hitting over 3,000 rpms. There are other talented rookies in the AL, but none of them have this kind of profile.
The only one that's close, Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominquez, is struggling defensively. Dominguez is transitioning from center field to left, and he's already badly misplayed two fly balls this spring. If those struggles continue, New York may be forced to make a difficult decision with their talented rookie.
If Dominguez sees a diminished early-season role while Jobe makes the rotation, the Tigers' future ace becomes the stand alone AL Rookie of the Year favorite.
Even if he doesn't make the rotation to start the season, chances are he makes an impact at the Big League level sooner than later. In that scenario, Jobe could still contend in the Rookie of the Year race, but that path is more difficult.
If he continues to pitch well over the next few weeks, Jobe is the man to beat if he opens the year in Detroit's rotation.
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Ryan Reynolds has worked in sports media since 2019, where he’s primarily covered the NFL. He got his start writing for Evan Silva and Adam Levitan’s Establish the Run where Ryan became an authority on NFL awards markets. Ryan recently served as an Associate Director and content headliner for former NFL executives Joe Banner and Mike Tannenbaum at The 33rd Team. Ryan has also made multiple guest appearances on Fantasy Sports Radio on SiriusXM and VSiN. Outside of sports Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating with honors from the University of Minnesota. He now has nearly a decade’s worth of experience in management. You can find Ryan on X @RyanReynoldsNFL or email him at RyanReynoldsNFL@gmail.com.