MLB

Detroit Tigers Fans Respond To Top Rookie Jackson Jobe’s 1st MLB Start After Refining Pitches In Chilly Oklahoma Barn

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Jeff Hawkins
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Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

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Published31 Mar 2025

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MLB: Detroit Tigers at Seattle Mariners

As a high school junior and a year before emerging as one of MLB’s top pitching prospects, Detroit Tigers rookie Jackson Jobe, who made his first career start Monday night, refined his skill set in an Oklahoma barn. 

Located in Piedmont, Oklahoma, Jobe frequented the makeshift building with a concrete floor and plywood walls. During the winter months, a propane heater kept the chill down.  

During the COVID-19 season, Jobe was unable to throw a 90-mph fastball. About a year after starting to work with Alex Marney, Jobe turned himself from an Ole Miss commit to the 2021 No. 3 overall draft pick. As a senior at Heritage Hall (Okla.) High, Jobe’s fastball elevated to 93 mph, registering a 0.13 earned-run average.  

As a rookie and the No. 5-ranked prospect in baseball, Jobe’s fastball rests between 97-99 mph and can hit triple digits. 

Over the past few years, Marney’s training in the chilly barn evolved into PitchingWRX, a high-tech organization located in Oklahoma City. 

Last offseason, Jobe worked on establishing a sweeping curve ball, as a possible two-strike solution to a problem he endured as a reliever after being called up by the Tigers late last season. Despite elite spin rates, Jobe struggled to put away major-league hitters with two-strike counts.  

Entering spring training without a defined destination, Detroit or Toledo, Jobe earned the No. 4 starting role after compiling a 3.86 ERA in 16 1/3 innings.

X (Twitter) users responded to Jobe’s debut. Despite being handed a 6-0 first-inning lead, Jobe lasted just four innings, surrendering three runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out three. Jobe’s extra work helped him prepare for the moment as he departed with an 8-3 advantage … 

Monday’s pre-game stroll … 

Highlighting a six-run first inning, left fielder Riley Greene slammed an opposite-field home run, his first of the season. As Jobe nervously paced in the dugout, the Tigers collected seven hits and two bases-on-balls, forcing Mariners starter Emerson Hancock and Taylor Saucedo to deliver 50 pitches …  

Attempting to keep a digital scorebook during the Tigers’ opening at-bat proved challenging, especially to the organization’s No. 2-ranked prospect … 

While the Mariners hurlers struggled early, Jobe struck out Cal Raleigh on a hard cutter, ending a 1-2-3 first inning … 

Attempting to get a first-pitch strike, Jobe’s opening second-inning offering to Randy Arozarena ended up putting the Mariners on the scoreboard …

 Two innings later, Luke Raley solo homer helped shorten Jobe’s debut outing …  

What will Jobe do next? He earned a non-decision in the Tigers’ 9-6 win Monday, but entered the season with the fourth-best odds to claim the AL Rookie of the Year award, according to BetMGM …