Chris Jones
| IP | 900 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.82 |
| WHIP | 1.386 |
| BB/9 | 2.94 |
| SO/9 | 6.97 |
- Full name Christopher Aaron Jones
- Born 09/19/1988 in Tampa, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Vivian Gaither
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Drafted in the 15th round (467th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2007 (signed for $350,000).
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Jones broke a knuckle on his pitching hand early in the season, but had returned to the mound. His fastball sits near 87 mph, and he has a loose arm and creates good life on his changeup with a three-quarters arm slot.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Orioles acquired Jones from the Braves in an April 2013 deal involving reliever Luis Ayala. Jones has had success against lefthanders in his career, and he did so again in 2013, holding them to a .205 average with zero homers in 123 at-bats at Double-A and Triple-A, though he'll have to throw more strikes versus lefties after walking 12 percent of them. The Orioles see him as more than just a lefty specialist, as he's shown durability in the form of successful multi-inning outings. Jones has some effort in his delivery but also some deception. His fastball touches 92 mph and sits 89-90 to go with a curveball and changeup. None of the three stands out, but Jones has learned to mix and match, and he earned a spot on the Orioles 40-man roster. He'll have the chance to win a bullpen job in spring training but likely will begin 2014 back at Triple-A Norfolk. -
Jones fully expected to attend South Florida this past fall, but the Indians selected him in the 15th round. They decided to go over slot to sign him for $350,000 after seeing him extensively last summer with the Midland (Ohio) Redskins, an elite travel team. Several members of the organization like Jones better than big league lefty Aaron Laffey at the same stage of their development for his ability to pitch to the bottom of the strike zone and roll up ground balls. Pitching from a three-quarters arm slot, Jones' fastball has good natural life, currently sitting at 88-92 mph, and he projects to add velocity as he fills out physically. The life and action on his fastball through the zone is above-average as well. His two other pitches lag behind his fastball at this point, but he's shown the ability to spin a slurvy breaking ball and a good feel for his changeup. Jones will likely make his full-season debut at low Class A Lake County this season and profiles as a power lefty reliever, though like Laffey, the Indians will give him every opportunity to start.
