The Pirates will send righty Jared Jones to the bump on March 30 after the 22-year-old made the Pittsburgh Opening Day roster. With Jones set to face Miami for his first outing, here’s a look at what Bucs fans can expect from the right-handed pitching prospect.
A Look at Jones
The Pirates signed Jared Jones away from going to the University of Texas in 2020 when the California native was selected in the second round of that year’s MLB Draft. At the time, the book on Jones was that he was a power pitcher who could overwhelm hitters with an elite fastball — and that’s exactly what Jones is to this day.
Jones boasts a power four-seam fastball that profiles as his bread and butter. It’s a hard pitch that sat in the upper 90s while the righty was at Indianapolis and an offering that beat hitters on both sides of the plate.
That fastball can, as one would expect, help set up his secondary offerings, which include a mid-80s slider, curveball, and changeup.
But like many pitchers in the Minors, Jones struggles with command problems at times. The 22-year-old posted a BB/9 close to 4.0 in Triple-A last year, although that figure was lower than the 4.6 BB/9 he sported in Bradenton (A) two years earlier.
Jones did have some walk problems in Grapefruit League action in 2024. However, he didn’t give up an earned run through 16.1 IP.
Still, with four offerings, Jones has the stuff to be an MLB starter and a very good one at that. And, Jared Jones will get his first chance to establish himself on March 30 against the Marlins.
Analysis
Jones is part of a deep crop of Pirates pitching prospects, a group that includes Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo, Braxton Ashcraft, and the top pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, Paul Skenes.
While the Pirates have plenty of intriguing young hitters like Oneil Cruz and Jack Suwinski at the MLB level, the rebuild won’t be complete until the young pitching talent gets to the top.
Fantasy Impact
Jones has interesting fantasy value, particularly in NL-only leagues. However, Jones’ command is somewhat of a concern. But what’s more of an issue with the righty isn’t his stuff but how many chances for wins he can get.
Jones is someone to watch in 12-team league, mixed formats but it’s a good idea to wait at least a start or two to see how he functions in a Major League setting.