Tyrell Jenkins

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #14 prospect in 2016
  The Braves added one short-term and one possibly long-term piece to their big league rotation when they acquired Shelby Miller and Jenkins from the Cardinals for Jason Heyward shortly after the 2014 season. While Miller had established himself at the game's top level, Jenkins struggled with injuries throughout much of his time with St. Louis, which included shoulder surgery in August 2013. A tremendous athlete who had committed to play quarterback at Baylor, Jenkins blossomed with the Braves in 2015, proving he was healthy and earning the organization's minor league pitcher of the year award. He went 8-9, 3.19 in 25 starts and finished the season at Triple-A Gwinnett. In addition to establishing a career high with 138 innings, Jenkins made impressive strides in learning how to command his two- and four-seam fastballs and the importance of using his secondary offerings. He pitches on a steep downhill plane that produces a low to mid-90s heater with good movement down in the zone. He also throws a hard curveball and a solid changeup and has a workhorse mentality that had not manifested previously due to his injuries. Jenkins has No. 4 starter potential and is on the cusp of pitching in Atlanta, which should happen at some point in 2016.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #7 prospect in 2015
  Jenkins signed for $1.3 million in 2010 when the Cardinals lured him away from a Baylor football scholarship, but injuries and slow development chipped away at his prospect stock ever since. He threw six no-hit innings in his 2014 debut in mid-June after he returned from shoulder surgery, then pitched well in the Arizona Fall League. The Braves acquired him from the Cardinals in the four-player deal headlined by Jason Heyward and Shelby Miller. Jenkins has athleticism and a fine pitcher's frame, as well as quality arm strength. His fastball remains a plus pitch, and though he hasn't shown consistent 96 mph velocity as he did pre-injury, he still sits at 92-93 with sinking and cutting life and hits 95 regularly. Shoulder problems have precluded Jenkins from ever pitching 100 innings in a season, and he had surgery in 2013 to repair lat-muscle damage. The lost development time has hampered Jenkins' command, and he still struggles with his release point and the consistency of his secondary stuff. His upper-70s curveball has power and above-average potential, while his average changeup has its moments when he trusts it, but his over-reliance on his fastball leads to high contact rates and below-average strikeout totals. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Jenkins gives the Braves an athletic starter with upside to go with significant durability questions. He'll get his first Double-A exposure in 2015 at Mississippi and still has a mid-rotation ceiling.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #17 prospect in 2014
  What set up to be the season the hyper-athletic Jenkins would affirm his prospect status became corrupted by an injury that had slowed him for several years. Jenkins surrendered to shoulder surgery in August 2013 to patch the latissimus muscle in his right (throwing) shoulder. The Cardinals expect recovery from the injury to take at least six months, but the result of the repair and the rehab should be an end to the shoulder discomfort that nagged at the talented righty. Jenkins has been limited to less than 85 innings in each of his first three full pro seasons, and each of the past two seasons have ended with a shoulder injury. The abbreviated seasons have given a staccato feel to his development since signing for $1.3 million with the Cardinals in 2010 and leaving behind a football scholarship to Baylor. The soreness in his shoulder could be a reason for inconsistent mechanics that hampered his control. When healthy, Jenkins showed a 93-96 mph fastball and can touch higher registers. His curveball has improved with more velocity, and he had gained movement on his fastball. The Cardinals knew they would have to be patient with Jenkins. He has the frame, power, and raw athleticism of a top-shelf starting pitcher. Once he finally has health, he may connect it all at high Class A Palm Beach.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #8 prospect in 2013
  The Cardinals wooed Jenkins from a football commitment to Baylor by paying him $1.3 million in 2010. They knew his development would require patience and didn't give him a full-season assignment until 2012. He missed a month with shoulder soreness and two weeks with a strained lat muscle at low Class A Quad Cities, and he was inconsistent when he took the mound. Jenkins has a long, lithe frame that made him a successful quarterback and sprinter in high school. It creates the leverage to unleash 93-96 mph fastballs and the strength to maintain velocity throughout his starts. He'll develop more power as he matures and more command as he tames his delivery. He has ditched an exaggerated leg kick and has sought to settle on more fluid mechanics that he can repeat. Jenkins gets depth on his curveball, but he doesn't always throw it with enough power. He's developing a solid changeup. A spot in the high Class A rotation awaits Jenkins in 2013, when a mix of maturity and pitcher-friendly Florida State League parks could elicit the breakout the Cardinals are hoping for.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #6 prospect in 2012
  Jenkins could have been running routes as a Baylor wide receiver instead of strong-arming Rookie-level Johnson City to the Appalachian League title. A four-sport star in high school, he turned down a football scholarship to sign for $1.3 million as the 50th overall pick in the 2010 draft. The youngest player in Johnson City, he drew plaudits from scouts as the league's best pitching prospect. Jenkins has a lithe and loose but raw delivery that was all high leg kick and arm when he came out of high school. It has become traditional, as he uses his legs more and puts less stress on his arm, also resulting in improved command. He works both sides of the plate with his fastball, sitting at 91-93 mph and touching 95-96. Jenkins abandoned his slider, favoring a 12-to-6 curveball with tighter spin. He also is developing a changeup. The Cardinals are setting a path that could put him two levels behind Carlos Martinez. More time in extended spring is possible in 2012, though a stretch in low Class A is the goal. He'll require patience but ultimately could develop into a frontline starter.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #4 prospect in 2011
  Billed as the most athletic pitcher available in the 2010 draft, Jenkins turned down a football scholarship to play quarterback at Baylor to sign with St. Louis for $1.3 million, almost twice the recommended bonus for the No. 50 overall slot. He also lettered in basketball and ran a 49-second quarter-mile in a relay race--sans training. The Cardinals saw Jenkins run a sprint in a track meet, then race to the diamond and throw low-90s fastballs. In his first pro inning, he retired the side on six pitches, inducing a strikeout and two weak groundouts. Jenkins has a loose, quick delivery that fires fastballs consistently at 92-93 mph and as hard as 95. His athleticism allows him to repeat his smooth mechanics, maintain his velocity deep into games and throw strikes. As he adds strength to his frame, his velocity could climb. He has a curveball with a tight spin and projectability and he's comfortable with a slider and changeup. However, he's relatively inexperienced on the mound and will need time to develop. Jenkins' aptitude as a starting pitcher should rise as he gains experience. The Cardinals may start him in extended spring training to soak up instruction before moving him into the rotation at short-season Batavia or Quad Cities.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Southern League #20 prospect in 2015
  The Braves acquired Jenkins from the Cardinals last November in the four-player deal headlined by Jason Heyward and Shelby Miller. Drafted in 2010, Jenkins' progress in the St. Louis system was slowed by surgery on his shoulder and lat muscle, resulting in a string of injury-shortened seasons. Thus he reached Double-A for the first time in 2015, his sixth pro season. Because of the missed time, Jenkins remains a bit of an unknown quantity. The 23-year-old established a career high (by far) with 138 innings in 2015, which he split between Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. Scouts who like Jenkins don't point to his performance--he struck out 5.7 and walked 4.0 batters per nine innings in 16 starts with the M-Braves--but instead his easy plus athleticism, loose arm and three pitches that flash above-average potential. Jenkins topped out at 96 mph in short bursts in the 2014 Arizona Fall League but sits more comfortably at 90-92 mph as a starter, throwing his fastball with natural running and sinking action. His 12-to-6 downer curveball is his top secondary weapon because it features plus depth and velocity in the low 80s. Jenkins isn't afraid to throw his curve or average changeup to get back into counts, but he needs a more consistent release point and command to approach his ceiling as a No. 3 or 4 starter or high-leverage reliever.
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  Ranked Midwest League #14 prospect in 2012
  An outstanding athlete who had a football scholarship from Baylor, Jenkins has made slow progress since committing to baseball full-time. He spent his first two years as a pro in Rookie ball, then never got untracked at Quad Cities in his introduction to full-season competition. He missed most of June with shoulder soreness and the final two weeks with a strained lat muscle, and he was inconsistent when he took the mound. Jenkins still has a lean body, loose arm and a 93-96 mph fastball that he maintains in deep into games. He's still trying to figure everything else out. He has some depth on his curveball, mainly because he has a straight-over-the-top delivery that scouts don't care for, but his breaking ball lacks power at times. Jenkins shows some feel for a changeup that has a chance to become a solid pitch. He needs to improve both his control and command, as he falls behind in the count and gives up more walks and gets hit harder than he should.
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  Ranked National League #3 prospect in 2011
  A four-sport standout in high school who also played basketball, football and ran track, Jenkins has made rapid improvements to his feel for pitching since turning pro. Signed for $1.3 million as the 50th overall pick, he impressed managers with his projectable 6-foot-4 frame, fastball velocity and conviction in his secondary pitches. Jenkins generates plenty of swings and misses by working both sides of the plate with his fastball, sitting at 91-93 mph and dialing up to 95-96. His curveball ranges from 75-80 and often shows tight 12-to-6 break. In a league where teenage pitchers seldom work in a third pitch, he showed determination to improve his low-80s changeup, which he picked up only after signing and could be the final ingredient in making him a front-of-the-rotation starter. Jenkins delivers the ball from a high three-quarters arm slot, but at times he comes too far overhand and sacrifices plane on his pitches. One manager described Jenkins' delivery as "old school" because he dips his back shoulder prior to launching his body forward, but his athleticism ought to allow for improved command as he matures.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #94 prospect in 2012

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The Cardinals wooed Jenkins from a football commitment to Baylor by drafting him 50th overall and paying him $1.3 million in 2010. They knew his development would require patience and didn't give him his first full-season assignment until 2012. He missed a month with shoulder soreness and two weeks with a strained lat muscle at low Class Quad Cities, and he was inconsistent when he took the mound. Scouting Report: Jenkins has a long, lithe frame that made him a successful quarterback and sprinter in high school. It also creates the leverage for 93-96 mph fastballs and the strength to maintain velocity throughout his starts. He'll develop more power as he matures and more command as he tames his delivery. He has ditched an exaggerated leg kick and has sought to settle on more fluid mechanics that he can repeat. Jenkins gets depth on his curveball with an over-the-top arm slot that scouts don't love and he doesn't always throw it with enough power. He's developing a solid changeup. The Future: Jenkins has caught the attention of big league manager Mike Matheny, who personally invited him to big league camp last spring. A spot in the high Class A rotation awaits Jenkins in 2013, when a mix of maturity and pitcher-friendly Florida State League parks could elicit the breakout the Cardinals are hoping for.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Jenkins could have been running routes as a Baylor wide receiver instead of strong-arming Rookie-level Johnson City to a second consecutive Appalachian League title. A four-sport star in high school, he turned down a football scholarship to sign for $1.3 million as the 50th overall pick in the 2010 draft. The youngest player on the Johnson City roster, he drew plaudits from scouts as the Appy League's best pitching prospect. Scouting Report: Jenkins has a lithe and loose but raw delivery that was all high leg kick and arm when he came out of high school. It has become more traditional, as he uses his legs more and puts less stress on his arm, also resulting in improved command. He works both sides of the plate with his fastball, sitting at 91-93 mph and touching 95-96 with increased regularity. Jenkins abandoned his slider in 2011, favoring a 12-to-6 curveball with tighter spin. He also is developing a changeup. The Future: The Cardinals are setting a deliberate path for Jenkins, one that could put him two levels behind Carlos Martinez. More time in extended spring training is possible in 2012, though a stretch in low Class A at some point during the season is the goal. He'll require patience but ultimately could develop into a frontline starter.