Tigers Exciting Prospect Makes Starting Rotation After Latest Roster Moves
The Detroit Tigers are preparing for their opening day series, which will be on the road on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Before that, the Tigers need to have their 26-man roster set, which includes their starting rotation. On Saturday, it appeared the Tigers set that rotation with a pair of moves that paved the way for their top pitching prospect to make the opening-day roster.
The Tigers announced that they optioned right-handed pitcher Keider Montero and infielder Ryan Kreidler to Triple-A Toledo. Montero had been a rotation candidate.
With Montero’s option, the Tigers now have five starting pitchers on their roster page at MLB.com — Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, Casey Mize and Jackson Jobe.
With Montero joining Matt Manning in the minors, and veteran free agent Alex Cobb out with an injury, it appears clear that Jobe will be in the starting rotation.
Jobe was promoted late last year and pitched in two games, giving up one hit in four innings. He also pitched in the postseason, but was beat up in those appearance, giving up five hits and three runs in 1.2 innings.
There is immense promise in the 2021 first-round pick out of Heritage Hall School in Oklahoma City. Detroit signed the son of PGA Tour golfer Brandt Jobe for $6.9 million after he was drafted No. 3 overall.
Last season was a breakthrough year for the 22-year-old right-hander, who is universally considered the Tigers’ top prospect.
He became a Top 100 prospect for the first time per MLB.com, avoided injury and started his season at Erie before a promotion to Triple-A Toledo. Again, he excelled, as he went 5-3 with a 2.36 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 91.2 innings.
If things go well, he won’t be back in the minor leagues again.
Mize was once in Jobe’s shoes — the franchise’s No. 1 prospect. He was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 MLB draft. He’s still waiting for his breakthrough.
It appeared to be coming in 2022, when he was 7-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 30 starts for Detroit, as he struck out 118 and walked 41 in 150.1 innings. But the right-hander tore his UCL in 2022 and missed all of 2023 and a good portion of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
He pitched in two games last year, going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. He was competing with Montero, Jobe and Kenta Maeda for the final two rotation spots.
