Pirates Farm System
Pirates Top 30 Prospects No. 16: Mitch Jebb Excels in One Area
This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.
As a high draft pick, Mitch Jebb entered the Pittsburgh Pirates’ with a certain level of notoriety.
The Pirates selected Jebb in the second round of the 2023 draft after a successful three-year career with the Michigan State Spartans. During his first season of professional baseball last year, Jebb gave the Pirates exactly what they were looking for.
Jebb, who has an unorthodox batting stance from the left-side of the plate, doesn’t possess much raw power, but is regarded as a high-contact batter with the ability to get on base.
He spent the 2023 season with the Low-A Bradenton Marauders and hit .297 with a .382 on-base percentage and a .780 OPS in 34 games. Jebb was also successful in 11 of 12 stolen base attempts to start his career.
Jebb’s prowess on the basepaths carried over to 2024 with the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. He finished tied for fifth in the South Atlantic League this past season with 43 stolen bases and was only caught eight times.
While Jebb’s ability to steal bases easily translated up a level in the system, the rest of his offense largely fell off. Though he still carried a respectable 11.3% walk rate, Jebb hit .253 with a .696 OPS in what’s considered a hitter’s paradise.
Yes, the overall numbers are clearly subpar, but Jebb finished the season strong. From the start of July through the end of the season, he hit .297/.383/.422, good for a 132 wRC+.
Jebb’s excellent speed is a real weapon on the bases, but the question will be whether or not he can reach base enough to be able to utilize it. His strong end to the season is at least an encouraging sign, but his .340 BABIP over that time also shows there may have a been some luck involved in the good results.
Assuming Jebb starts the season in Double-A next year, he’ll be one step closer to the big leagues. But he’ll need to prove his performance over the final two months of his season wasn’t a fluke, all while continuing to put his best attribute to good use.