BRADENTON, Fla. — Earlier this spring, Derek Shelton mentioned the Pirates’ focus when constructing a rotation was ensuring bringing “the very best membership north is gonna be necessary to us.”
After watching Jared Jones pitch this spring, it’s pretty irrefutable that the crew’s No. 3 prospect was one in every of their 5 greatest beginning pitchers. Regardless, Shelton did mess with Jones a bit earlier than telling him the information that he had made the Opening Day roster.
“They began the assembly with ‘I had thrown 120 innings the previous couple years and so they wish to do proper by me and never prolong me an excessive amount of,’” Jones mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Rip the band-aid off, inform me I’m going to Triple-A,’ however I regarded over to Shelton and he goes, ‘Congrats, man.’
“I’m like, ‘what?’ He mentioned, ‘You’re coming to Miami with us.’”
“Identical to all of you noticed, he carried out very well in Spring Coaching,” Pirates normal supervisor Ben Cherington mentioned. “Greater than the floor efficiency, although, continued progress within the work he was doing between begins, coming into the sport, when it comes to execution, utilization of all of his pitches. Clearly we all know the competitor. Imagine in him, and consider he makes our crew higher by being on it to start out the season.”
Jones’ first Main League begin can be sport three in opposition to the Marlins on Saturday.
Jones was a second-round decide in 2020 and at the moment ranks because the No. 62 prospect within the sport, in response to MLB Pipeline. He went 5-9 with a 3.85 ERA final season over 26 video games cut up between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis.
Whereas he nonetheless has loads of room to develop as a participant, he felt he confirmed progress this spring by coming via in greater leverage conditions.
“I’m a competitor, man,” Jones mentioned. “That’s simply who I’m on the mound. I’m the fiery little man. That’s what I prefer to name myself.”
His teammates and his pitching coach, Oscar Marin, noticed that fireplace. Extra importantly, they noticed him be capable to channel it. Henry Davis jokes that Jones is the simplest mound go to as a result of he simply must get him indignant to get him again on observe.
“It is the F-you angle,” Marin mentioned. “That is what makes him so good. There is no hesitation to return at you along with his stuff.”
Jones tried to downplay what precisely making the Pirates’ Opening Day roster would imply to him this spring, however now that he has made the crew, an emotional and visibly relieved Jones may lastly open up about it.
“It means every thing,” Jones mentioned. “I had tears in my eyes the entire day yesterday. I’m tearing up proper now about it. It’s superior. I adore it.”
Whereas Jones waited for the information yesterday, Davis, who has been a vocal supporter of his buddy this spring, sat alongside him. It seems the 2, who began final season collectively in Double-A Altoona, will share their first Opening Day collectively.
“He didn’t know or something like that,” Jones mentioned. “Simply wished the information together with me. He was actually excited for me. I’m glad to be doing it with him.”
Whereas Jones should be a little bit of an unknown to Main League hitters and a few Pirates followers, those that have caught him know the potential he brings.
“Simply watch,” mentioned catcher Grant Koch, who caught Jones in Triple-A. “He’s going to continue to grow. It’s scary to consider what he will be.”
This would be the fifth straight yr the Pirates break camp with a rookie that didn’t have earlier Main League expertise (JT Brubaker in 2020, Luis Oviedo in 2021, Diego Castillo in 2022 and Jose Hernandez in 2023). None of these prospects had been as extremely rated as Jones, although. The Pirates have been vocal about having greater expectations this yr, however their choice prolonged past simply that.
“It’s largely about Jared Jones, I’d say,” Cherington answered. “With pitching, we are able to often be a little bit extra correct in assessing what the arsenal is and the way that’s going to undertaking right into a Main League sport. On prime of that, we all know this individual and competitor and the way far he’s come since signing. I feel it’s largely about Jared Jones. We’re excited.”