Jackson Jobe Promoted by Tigers Ahead of Rays Series; MLB's No. 1 Pitching Prospect

As the Detroit Tigers gear up for their series against the Tampa Bay Rays that starts on Tuesday, they injected some youth into their pitching staff.

The Tigers announced on Monday that right-handed pitching prospect Jackson Jobe will be promoted to their major-league roster for the upcoming series. Jobe is ranked as the No. 1 pitching prospect and No. 6 overall prospect by MLB.com.

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported that Jobe will pitch out of the bullpen when he makes his MLB debut. Right-hander Shelby Miller will be designated for assignment as the corresponding move to make room for Jobe on the 40-man roster.

The Tigers selected Jobe out of high school with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft. He had originally committed to play college baseball at Ole Miss before opting to pursue a professional career.

During the 2024 season, Jobe has played in High-A (three starts), Double-A (16 starts) and Triple-A (two starts). He has a combined record of 5-3 with a 2.36 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and 96 strikeouts against just 45 walks across 91.2 innings pitched. He held opposing hitters to a batting average of .178.

Entering this season, CBS Sports prospect expert R.J. Anderson ranked Jobe as Detroit's No. 2 overall prospect behind second baseman Colt Keith, who has played 142 games this year.

"Jobe's arsenal is full of above-average or better pitches, including a fastball that jets into the upper-90s, two breaking balls, and an excellent changeup for someone this young and inexperienced," Anderson wrote at the time. Concerns about Jobe's durability and command (his elbow rides up to the shoulder line) kept him from ranking higher, but there's front-of-the-rotation potential here if both improve."

At 82-74, the Tigers are clinging to the third and final wild-card spot in the American League. Detroit is certainly hoping that adding Jobe will help clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2014.