Jake Thompson
| IP | 500 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.78 |
| WHIP | 1.404 |
| BB/9 | 3.222 |
| SO/9 | 6.12 |
- Full name Jacob Matthew Thompson
- Born 08/08/1989 in Downey, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Long Beach State
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Drafted in the 2nd round (66th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 (signed for $555,000).
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Due to California high school transfer rules, Thompson did not pitch varsity baseball in his junior season at Wilson High, which is directly across the street from Blair Field, Long Beach State's home field. He graduated from Wilson a semester early to play for the Dirtbags. Thompson's college career has been a mixed bag, with bursts of brilliance interspersed with wildness and control problems. Relying heavily on his fastball, Thompson is an aggressive hurler who resembles, in frame and style, former big leaguer Troy Percival. His 92-94 mph fastball peaks at 95, and Thompson adds an excellent changeup which he mixes in sparingly. Thompson's primary weakness is his curveball, a pitch he short-arms and doesn't finish off cleanly. Scouts think that Thompson's results don't match his talent because of his unusual arm stroke, which will need to be cleaned up, and a weak delivery finish in which he circles away from the plate. He has the arm and raw stuff to be a mid-rotation starter, but he will more likely end up in the bullpen.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Thompson ranked as the top pitching prospect in the short-season New York-Penn League in his 2010 pro debut, then skipped a level and placed fourth in the Florida State League in ERA (2.90) in his first full pro season. Yet for a college product, he has had to make considerable adjustments. He has lacked consistency with his pitches, struggling at times to locate his fastball and to maintain the feel for his changeup. He also missed May last year with elbow tightness, but he showed no ill effects once he returned. Thompson's fastball resides in the low 90s with average movement. He complements it with a promising mid-80s slider and a changeup that can elicit some swings and misses. He doesn't miss nearly as many bats as he should with that stuff, averaging just 4.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2011. Thompson doesn't get hit hard, though, keeping the ball down and getting groundballs. He also exhibits good mound presence. While Thompson doesn't have a high ceiling, he could be a serviceable starter in the back of a major league rotation and is ready for Double-A. -
After earning his GED diploma and enrolling early in college, Thompson became a weekend starter as a freshman before experiencing an inconsistent career at Long Beach State. Expected to be the 49ers' ace in 2010, he went 5-4, 5.16 in 14 starts before signing for $555,000 as a second-round pick. In his pro debut, he ranked as the short-season New York-Penn League's top pitching prospect before throwing 11 scoreless innings in high Class A. Thompson has the stuff, frame and mound presence to eat up innings in the middle of a big league rotation. His fastball usually sits at 92-94 mph and touched 97 during his debut. He picked up a mid-80s slider during the spring at Long Beach State, and it showed more consistency and peaked in the upper-80s in pro ball. His changeup can be a plus pitch at times, though it gets too firm on occasion. Hudson Valley pitching coach Jack Giese worked extensively with Thompson to improve his slider and mechanics. He no longer flies open or rushes his delivery, which led to improved command. Given his experience and pro debut, Thompson could move quicker than the average Rays farmhand. He figures to open his first full season by returning to high Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Thompson earned his GED diploma and enrolled a year early at Long Beach State, where he stepped right into a weekend rotation spot as an 18-year-old freshman. After an up-and-down college career, he signed for a $555,000 bonus as a second-round pick, then dominated the NY-P and finished the summer with 11 scoreless innings in the high Class A Florida State League. "I loved him," Bushong said. "He was a true power arm. He was 94-95 against us with a hard slider. He dominated us." Thompson often flashed a plus changeup in college, and it was on display this summer as well, though it tends to be too firm. While his slider was inconsistent at Long Beach, he developed more confidence and feel for the pitch, which reached the upper 80s at Hudson Valley. With his durable frame and loose arm, he could become a frontline starter if his secondary stuff and command continue to progress like they did this summer. He worked hard this summer with Renegades pitching coach Jack Giese to improve his command and mechanics. Thompson tended to fly open at the front of his delivery in the past, but he did a better job staying closed this summer. He also worked to slow down out of the stretch, which helped him repeat his delivery more consistently.
