If Jackson Jobe develops as the Tigers expect, they could have one of the best one-two pitching punches in the majors as soon as next season.
"He's going to be a mainstay in our rotation," Tigers president of baseball ops Scott Harris said Monday at the MLB Winter Meetings. "I don't know exactly when. We're going to sort all that stuff out in spring training, but he is one of the most talented starting pitching prospects in baseball and he's going to get a shot here."
The Tigers summoned Jobe to Detroit for their playoff push last season. The 22-year-old made four relief appearances in high-stakes games in September and October, including twice in the playoffs, which "gave him a chance to get punched in the mouth at this level and identity the areas of his game that he needs to work in this offseason," Harris said.
"We think he's going to be better for that experience and we think he's going to be in our rotation at some point. We just can't confidently say we know when until we see how he looks in spring training and how the rest of the starters look," said Harris.
It would be a surprise if Jobe starts the season anywhere other than Detroit. The Tigers have 11 starting pitchers on the depth chart with the recent signing of veteran Alex Cobb, headlined by Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Reese Olson might be the only other lock for the rotation as it stands today, but Jobe can solidify a spot in the spring. He posted a 2.36 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning across 21 starts in the minors last season.
As for where Jobe needs to improve, Harris cited "strike-throwing, pitching different hitters in different ways, trusting his stuff in the zone even when he gets hit, making sure that he can land all of his shapes to both sides of the plate and out of the middle of the zone."
"Basically every pitcher needs to work on that, he's no different. His stuff is elite, he's a really gifted athlete and mover on the mound, but there are still aspects of his game he can refine in order to get to his ceiling," said Harris.
The other pitchers vying for rotation spots, in no particular order, are Kenta Maeda, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Keider Montero, Ty Madden, Brant Hurter and Sawyer Gipson-Long, though some of them could be repurposed "to fill out roles in the bullpen," Harris said.
Behind the plate, Harris and the Tigers "feel really good" about the duo of Jake Rogers and Dillon Dingler, the latter of whom debuted last season.
"I think Jake and Ding compare very favorably to most catching tandems in the league from a blocking, framing, throwing, game-calling standpoint," said Harris. "Defensively, I think they're as good as most if not better. And then offensively, they both can change the score with one swing, which is something you can't really find at that position very regularly."
Rogers has 31 homers over the last two seasons, while Dingler hit 17 in 71 games in Triple-A last year before his promotion to Detroit.
"They're both improving offensively," said Harris. "Ding's performance from Triple-A didn't quite translate to the big leagues. However, we threw a lot at him. He came up in the middle of the season and had to suddenly manage a Major League staff, call a Major League game, handle Major League stuff behind the plate, and hit the best pitching he's ever seen in his life. I'm not surprised he struggled, but I still think that experience will allow him to have a big offseason and adjust for next year."
Across the infield, the Tigers are leaving opportunities open for players like Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Justyn-Henry Malloy and even Spencer Torkelson. Jung could see more time next season at second base, where he won a Gold Glove in Double-A, with the Tigers grooming Colt Keith and Malloy this winter for potential opportunities at first.
Jung, the 12th overall pick in 2022, also factors into the Tigers' plans at third: "He's coming to spring to compete to win a job," said Harris. "Exactly the opportunity in front of him is going to depend on what we do the rest of the offseason."
Jung posted a .665 OPS in 34 games with the Tigers last season after forcing his way up from Triple-A. He had a minor operation on his wrist after last season and will be ready to go for spring training.
"We've challenged him to get better in every area," said A.J. Hinch. "He's gotta be a better defender. He can be a better hitter, he can be more patient, he's gonna hit the ball hard, but we believe in all of that. And I think he deserves the ability to compete to prove it. And if you know anything about Jace, he's going to come back really prepared."
