IP | 2.2 |
---|---|
ERA | 10.13 |
WHIP | 1.88 |
BB/9 | 10.13 |
SO/9 | 20.25 |
- Full name Zachary Garrett Jackson
- Born 12/25/1994 in Tulsa, OK
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Arkansas
- Debut 04/09/2022
-
Drafted in the 3rd round (102nd overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016 (signed for $275,000).
View Draft Report
A well-built 6-foot-3, 195-pound righthander with an extreme stab in his delivery, a long arm action and trouble repeating his delivery, Jackson battles his near bottom of the scale control in most every outing. Jackson has walked 5.5 walks batters per nine innings in his career and his control has shown little improvement during his three seasons with the Razorbacks. The Razorbacks have tried starting Jackson, but his pitch inefficiency always scraps the experiment-he made it out of the fifth inning in only one of his five Southeastern Conference starts this year. So why is Jackson rated so high? It's because he has one of the best breaking balls in the draft, an outstanding tight 12-to-6 downer curve which grades as at least a plus offering. Too often he misses his fastball by feet, not inches and even when he's locating it in the zone, hitters often seem to be able to time his 90-93 mph fastball when he's up in the zone. He also mixes in a below-average changeup. There are many nights where Jackson has more feel in his curveball than his fastball. As good as the arm is, it will take a significant optimist to believe that Jackson can tone down his delivery enough to start, but his combination of a plus curveball and a plus fastball (it sits 92-96 mph out of the bullpen) has played better as a reliever and would play with even below-average control.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Jackson was an extremely successful reliever for Arkansas during his college career, often pitching multiple innings and helping the Razorbacks reach the 2015 College World Series despite an injury-ravaged rotation. He averaged 13.3 strikeouts per nine that season, but when the Razorbacks needed starters in 2016, they gave Jackson a try for five Southeastern Conference games, and it didn't go well. Jackson has a long arm action with a deep stab in the back that makes it hard for him to find his release point consistently. The result is well-below-average fastball command with poor control that limits him to a relief role. He averaged 5.5 walks-per-nine as a collegian and 5.8 per-nine in his pro debut. He throws hard, sitting 92-96 mph in short relief bursts, but his 12-to-6 curveball is his real calling card. It's a tight, hard downer in the low-80s that grades as plus if not better. He's often had a better feel for locating the curve than the fastball or his rarely thrown changeup. Jackson will move as quickly as the Jays can get him to locate his fastball with some consistency, and it will be in a bullpen role.
Draft Prospects
-
A well-built 6-foot-3, 195-pound righthander with an extreme stab in his delivery, a long arm action and trouble repeating his delivery, Jackson battles his near bottom of the scale control in most every outing. Jackson has walked 5.5 walks batters per nine innings in his career and his control has shown little improvement during his three seasons with the Razorbacks. The Razorbacks have tried starting Jackson, but his pitch inefficiency always scraps the experiment-he made it out of the fifth inning in only one of his five Southeastern Conference starts this year. So why is Jackson rated so high? It's because he has one of the best breaking balls in the draft, an outstanding tight 12-to-6 downer curve which grades as at least a plus offering. Too often he misses his fastball by feet, not inches and even when he's locating it in the zone, hitters often seem to be able to time his 90-93 mph fastball when he's up in the zone. He also mixes in a below-average changeup. There are many nights where Jackson has more feel in his curveball than his fastball. As good as the arm is, it will take a significant optimist to believe that Jackson can tone down his delivery enough to start, but his combination of a plus curveball and a plus fastball (it sits 92-96 mph out of the bullpen) has played better as a reliever and would play with even below-average control.