LAKELAND, FL – The Detroit Tigers have selected RHP Jackson Jobe with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
“We’ve been fortunate to scout and draft some great high school pitchers over the years, and Jackson ranks up there with some of the best we’ve seen,” said Al Avila, Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager. “He pitches beyond his years, and we project him to be an impactful arm in our player development system, and eventually the Major Leagues. Though young pitching is one of our organizational strengths, we see the addition of Jackson as an important one as we continue building depth that will breed sustainable success in the long-term.”
Jobe is selected by the Tigers following four years at Heritage Hall High School, in Oklahoma City, OK. He recently completed a dominant senior season with the Chargers, posting a 9-0 record and 0.13 ERA over 51.2 innings, striking out 122 batters, walking just five, and throwing multiple no-hitters.
Following the 2021 season Jobe was named Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and the Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year. Jobe’s slider is ranked No. 1 in the class by MLB Pipeline, while Baseball America lists him has having the best breaking ball among high schoolers.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, Jobe has lived up to his ranking by Baseball America as the “Top Athlete” among high schoolers in the draft class. Not only has he excelled on the mound, but also in the batters box where he posted a .469 batting average with 13 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, and 37 RBI in 2021. Additionally, he was Heritage Hall’s starting quarterback during his sophomore and junior seasons, before COVID-19 abbreviated his career on the gridiron. Jobe averaged 82.3 passing yards per game over 11 games during his 2018 campaign, and 186.5 per game over six contests his junior year.
“Jackson is one of the most talented high schoolers we’ve scouted in years,” said Scott Pleis, Tigers Director of Amateur Scouting. “The stuff matches the power in his arsenal, and he does a great job at allowing his athleticism to show when on the mound. After months of input and discussion between our analytics, scouting and player development staffs, we all agreed that Jackson would be an excellent addition to our organization.”
Jackson is no stranger to pro sports, as his father, Brandt, has been a professional golfer since 1988 and is currently on the PGA Champions Tour. The elder Jobe has also played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, winning tournaments such as the Principal Charity Classic (2017) and Boeing Classic (2019).
The Tigers will continue their 2021 MLB Draft with one more pick on opening night (32nd), followed by nine picks on day two (rounds 2-10) and 10 selections on day three (rounds 11-20). It’s rare for Detroit to have this many picks early in the draft, owning three of the top 39 selections for the first time since 1987 (20, 21, 30).
