Who is Jackson Jobe? Why Tigers called up 2021 Draft pick for the playoffs

Dan Treacy

Who is Jackson Jobe? Why Tigers called up 2021 Draft pick for the playoffs image

The Tigers found a new gear after the trade deadline, turning themselves from surefire sellers into a postseason team. The bullpen was the key to that success.

Detroit shuffled around its 'pen midseason, switching up some roles and bringing up some new names. It all clicked, and the Tigers' top relievers helped push the franchise to its first postseason appearance.

Now, the Tigers believe they're about to unleash their secret weapon: former first-round pick Jackson Jobe, who was called up just days before the end of the regular season.

Here's what you need to know about Jobe and why his arrival is drawing some David Price comparisons. 

MORE: World Series predictions | Full playoff schedule | Scores today

Who is Jackson Jobe?

Jobe was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, coming off the board after Henry Davis and Jack Leiter. The first high schooler selected in 2021, Jobe emerged as one of the clear-cut top prospects in baseball last season.

Jobe posted a sub-3 ERA in the minor leagues in both 2023 and 2024, allowing just 5.7 hits per nine innings this season in the minors while dealing with occasional control issues. 

The Tigers were so thrilled about what they saw from Jobe that they called him up to the majors after only two starts in triple-A, but they are not putting him in the tough position of starting games despite a depleted rotation. Instead, Detroit is deploying Jobe as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen. 

Jobe debuted during the final week of the regular season, tossing four shutout innings over two appearances.

The hope in Detroit is that Jobe can play a role similar to the one David Price played during the Rays' run to the World Series in 2008. Price was a former No. 1 overall pick and top prospect, but Tampa used him as a relief weapon in October rather than force him into the rotation.

Jobe is fully expected to be a starter long-term, but for now, the Tigers are hoping he can make a difference out of the bullpen in their first postseason run since 2014.

MORE: Why A.J. Hinch was fired by the Astros

How old is Jackson Jobe?

Jobe is 22 years old. He won't turn 23 until July 30 of next year. 

Jobe was drafted just before he turned 19, so his excellent minor-league numbers were especially impressive for his age. Few pitchers are able to limit hits as well as Jobe has at 21 and now 22 years old, and the Tigers are hoping that success carries over in his first stint in the majors.

Despite their run to the postseason, Detroit's rotation is thin due in part to Jack Flaherty's trade to the Dodgers at the deadline. That issue won't be fixed this season, but Detroit is anticipating Jobe becoming a long-term piece of the rotation as early as 2025.

Jackson Jobe minor-league stats

SeasonLevelsIPERAWHIPK
2022A, A+77.13.841.2881
2023A, A+, AA64.02.810.9884
2024A+, AA, AAA91.22.361.1296
Career 233.02.971.14261

Jobe has a career 2.97 ERA and 261 strikeouts in 233 minor-league innings. 

Will Jobe return to the minor leagues in 2025? He only has two triple-A starts on his record, but the Tigers' trust in him to pitch in the postseason with so little experience is an indication that he could very well open next season in Detroit's rotation with a strong spring.

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.