ALTOONA, Pa. — Jared Jones spent his offseason like any 21-year-old does: honing his craft alongside some established major league pitchers.
Back at home in Southern California’s Orange County, the Pirates’ right-handed pitching prospect worked out at Chapman Baseball Compound, a 14,000 square foot training facility, receiving instant data-driven feedback after each pitch. The attendees? Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals and Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox, among others.
“My first day there, it was like January for my first bullpen. I walk in and I see those guys and I’m like, ‘Woah, where am I at?’” Jones said. “Learning from those guys was really fun.”
Current Pirates pitcher Vince Velasquez was there, too, as was Michael Lorenzen of the Detroit Tigers. Jones knew Velasquez and Lorenzen, the more vocal leaders of the bunch, would be training with him. He wasn’t quite as prepared to see Giolito and Flaherty, two hurlers he just sat back and admired.
“Just watching what those guys do, I mean, I could do that all day,” Jones said. “Watching those guys go through their day, their workouts, their throwing program and all the stuff they do, it was really cool to see.”
The Pirates’ No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline still has a long way to go to accrue the stardom of Flaherty and Giolito, but he certainly has the makeup. In his first season with the Altoona Curve of Double-A’s Eastern League, Jones possesses a repertoire that, quite simply, features some filthy offerings.
Jones estimates that his fastball is currently sitting anywhere between 95 and 99 mph and that both his slider and changeup are in the high 80’s. Not to mention, his curveball hovers between 78 and 81 mph.
A participant in the Pirates’ major league camp for spring training until March 7, Jones threw two scoreless innings in as many outings while striking out a pair of New York Yankees prospects.
“It was fun, getting to pitch against big-league teams, big-league rosters in a big-league ballpark,” Jones said. “Obviously, a 21-year-old like myself, I’m going to be freaking out a little bit. But yeah, I felt like I held it down pretty well.”
Jones enjoyed his interactions in big-league camp, too, taking in moments like being in the same clubhouse for a brief time as Rich Hill.
“Hill watched one of my first lives over there and I was kind of fan-boying on the mound a little bit,” Jones said. “I grew up watching him playing for the Dodgers and stuff like that. It was just really cool being around all those guys.”
The prized right-handed fireballer’s ascension has been quite the quick one.
Jones was something of a two-way prospect coming out of La Mirada High School, located roughly 15 miles northwest of Angel Stadium of Anaheim. He hit .457 as a junior with three home runs, but it was around that time that Jones experienced his first bump in velocity, which is when he said he really started to take pitching “seriously.”
Flash-forward to the 2020 draft, and Jones was a second-round pick by the Pirates, contemplating signing with Pittsburgh or to play college ball for Texas. Jones, of course, chose the Pirates, which effectively ended any shot of him being a professional hitter.
Well, unless Jones’ batting practice showings force the Pirates to second-guess themselves.
“I've been talking to our manager Callix [Crabbe] for the past two days,” Jones said. “I did take four out in pitchers’ BP, when am I going to get a chance?”
But, Jones still has some kinks to work out on the hill if he hopes to get promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis and eventually The Show. He sported ERAs over 4.60 in full seasons in both Bradenton in 2021 and Greensboro in 2022.
The Greensboro Grasshoppers’ home ballpark, First National Bank Field, is notoriously hitter friendly, though, considering its short dimensions down both the left and right-field lines. Jones tried his best not to over-evaluate his outings in Greensboro too much.
Crabbe hopes prospects like Jones will benefit from a more pitcher-friendly home in Altoona’s Peoples Natural Gas Field.
“I’m excited to see them continue with the progression with a less lively park,” Crabbe said. “I think Greensboro, we know, is known to shatter the hopes of some pitchers and I’m excited to see if, coming into a little bit bigger park with some overall better cadence of play, if they don’t benefit from it.”
With pitchers like Indianapolis’ Mike Burrows (forearm injury) and the Pirates’ JT Brubaker (right elbow injury) shelved for the time being, there’s potential for Jones to make the jump to Triple A — or higher — should he turn in more outings like his first of the season. Jones did give up a two-run home run to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on April 8, but that was the only hit he allowed in 4 ⅔ innings while striking out six.
For the time being, though, Jones is pretty content in being away from Greensboro’s bandbox ballpark, news he learned just a few days into April.
“Going to be really fun, getting to more of a pitcher’s park than 290 down the lines,” Jones said. “I was really happy I wasn’t going back to Greensboro.”
Starting Nine
Numbers through Sunday’s games
- Infielder Tucupita Marcano has had a sensational start to the season in Indianapolis, hitting a whopping .500 with seven doubles. Though he failed to crack the Pirates’ opening day roster, Marcano could very well get another shot like he had in 2022 should he keep it up.
- Right-hander Luiz Ortiz is off to a great start in Indianapolis, accruing a 1.08 ERA in two starts for the Indians. He spent most of the 2022 season with the Curve but had brief stints both in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, struggling at each level. So far, so good in year No. 2 at Triple-A for the Pirates’ eighth-ranked prospect.
- Right-hander Quinn Priester’s transition to Triple-A hasn’t been a seamless one. The Pirates’ fourth-ranked prospect has struggled so far to the tune of a 7.27 ERA, though he has come out victorious from one of his outings. Both command and throwing hittable pitches have been problems for Priester, whose WHIP is an ugly 1.85 so far.
- Right-hander Kyle Nicolas, the Pirates’ 20th ranked prospect, started opening day for the Curve, giving up just one hit over 4 ⅔ innings. One of the pieces acquired in the Jacob Stallings trade, Nicolas struggled with his command, issuing four walks while allowing three runs and taking the loss.
- Second base prospect Nick Gonzales has struggled to put the ball in play for the Indians so far, striking out 13 times in 29 at-bats at the Triple-A level. The Pirates’ fifth-ranked prospect has two home runs already, but making more consistent contact is a must to get to Pittsburgh
- Pitcher Thomas Harrington was stupendous in his first start of the season for the Bradenton Marauders, dealing five innings of shutout ball while striking out seven. The Pirates’ 12th ranked prospect, albeit only 21 years of age, could find his way to Greensboro sooner than later with more outings like that.
- Power has escaped shortstop prospect Liover Peguero at the start of his second season in Altoona during a very small sample size. Through three games, Peguero has three hits in 13 at-bats, all singles. Strikeouts haven’t been an issue for Peguero so far, but extra-base hits have.
- Former No. 1 overall pick and catching prospect Henry Davis similarly hasn’t had many at-bats during the early stages of the Curve’s season, but he’s shown some patience in drawing three walks in 13 plate appearances. He’s also got a two-run triple to his name, one of Davis’ two hits in 10 at-bats.
- It was a mixed bag for pitching prospect and Bethel Park High School graduate Justin Meis in his first start in Altoona. He allowed one earned run but lasted just three innings while giving up two more unearned runs.
Andrew Destin: adestin@post-gazette.com and Twitter @AndrewDestin1.
First Published: April 11, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
