‘He’s Born for This’: Jared Jones Has Matured Exponentially (+)
When the news came out Saturday night that the Pittsburgh Pirates called up RHP Jared Jones to Triple-A, it sent some shock waves through the system.
It’s not that Jones didn’t deserve the promotion; it just isn’t very common that the Pirates place a player on the fast track.
Sure, there are a few cases as of late, but as a whole, the Pirates as an organization tend to take things more on the slow side of things in terms of promotions.
Jones, a 21-year-old California native, has been impressive during his 2023 campaign in Double-A.
In spite of a 1-4 record, Jones has matured a lot since his origin story began at La Mirada High School. During this season, Jones has posted an ERA of 2.23 and a FIP of 3.43.
The ERA is nice, but one of the biggest indicators for Jones’ maturation has been the drop in walk rate (3.25 BB/9) while maintaining a high strikeout rate (9.54 K/9).
Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure to speak with Jones’ high school baseball coach, Jimmy Zurn, who has been with La Mirada High School for 20+ years.
Zurn opened with when he first saw Jones and his first impression of him.
“I remember Jared would come to our games as an eighth grader with his grandpa. I remember when I found out when Jared was coming to La Mirada, I had an opposing coach say, ‘Merry Christmas.’ I make all of our freshmen try out, and I remember him trying out, and it was just ridiculous. Him throwing from the outfield, he’s different, call it the ‘it factor’ or the ‘X factor,’ he’s got it.”
I spoke with Jones numerous times while I was in Altoona, and his confidence level was incredible. He said to me several times that he’s confident with his stuff and he’s going to stick with his approach.
Jones’ approach since Low-A has been mainly with his high-90s fastball, and using his slider off of that, but since coming to Double-A, he’s started to use a changeup and even a curveball.
The development of his changeup, in particular, has been a huge boost to Jones’ stock.
“Obviously, at the high school level, having a mid-90s fastball is going to play,” said Zurn. “You’re going to get a lot of swings and misses on bad pitches. What I’ve seen him develop in terms of his command with his fastball, seeing his strikeout-to-walk ratio really improve, is huge for his growth.”
Zurn continued.
“I’ve seen him walk the bases loaded and strike out the next three at the high school level. His slider has always been the out pitch like his slider has just been unhittable. He was always tinkering with his change, but seeing the confidence level with that changeup for him at the professional level is a difference maker. Being able to throw that in any count is what I’ve seen as the separator this year.”
Zurn also mentioned that his changeup has good depth to it, and if it can get to a plus pitch could be a big factor in getting him called up to the major league level.
Jones’ curveball has been something people haven’t talked about much, but from what I’ve seen in person, he has used his curveball effectively as a ‘get me over’ type pitch to throw off the timing of the batter.
“He’s actually got a good curveball,” said Zurn. “It’s kind of like a loopy 11-5. I remember telling him that in high school, just being able to throw that for a strike. Everyone is sitting on 90+, everyone sitting on a hard slider, but he has the ability to drop that in consistently for strikes. We want it to be a strike, they’re going to take that pitch, they’re not sitting on that pitch.”
Something that can’t be put into a box score is the maturation of a player.
There have been a few situations that I’ve witnessed from Jones where he’s been in tough spots. When I talked to Callix Crabbe of Altoona, he’d mention how important it is for a player to limit the damage and be unfazed by giving up a run or two.
Jones has embodied that maturation of limiting runs in a rough inning and being unfazed, but has this always been a trait he possessed?
“I’ve seen a definite maturation,” said Zurn. “In high school, we have a different element where he’s got the ability to feel like he should never give up a run. He’s the ultimate competitor. Speaking of seeing him and watching him start this year, how he’s handled missing a spot and a guy gets a hit or an error, it’s definitely an attribute he’s gained. He’s an adult now, he’s grown up and he know’s what he needs to do and he carries himself as a professional.”
Zurn continued.
“Seeing that growth from the mindset part of it is huge because I’ll be lucky if I ever coach a kid like that again. That’s saying a lot, we’ve got a pretty good program and a lot of good kids. He’s just a different kid where he has the ability to go through games and not give up a hit. He’s pitched perfect games in high school. It’s easy to get in high school to have an ‘it’s very rare someone hits me,’ type of attitude, well here, you’re going against professional guys, so you have to keep an even keel, or you’re going to get buried.”
Jones has definitely grown in many ways, but his maturation as a professional should take him far, and as coach Zurn said, “he’s born for this.”
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