Jake Stinnett
| IP | 387 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.302 |
| WHIP | 1.354 |
| BB/9 | 3.581 |
| SO/9 | 8.442 |
- Full name Jake Douglas Stinnett
- Born 04/25/1992 in Chula Vista, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Maryland
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Drafted in the 2nd round (45th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2014 (signed for $1,000,000).
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Stinnett came to Maryland from California as a position player, starting 40 games at third base in 2011. He hit just .174 (though he did hit five home runs) and also pitched five times, earning two saves, but he made just eight appearances in 2012. Stinnett has a pin in his elbow stemming from an injury at a younger age, but he has pitched with it for years. He pitched well in a relief role in 2012 in the New England Collegiate League and was MVP of the team's fall World Series. He started 2013 as the closer but moved into the rotation eventually, going 6-5, 2.83 and reaching 93 mph. Stinnett's stuff has continued to trend upward this spring, as he threw a no-hitter in February, dominated a head-to-head matchup in March with Carlos Rodon and North Carolina State, and has reached 97 mph with his fastball, which usually sits 92-95 with above-average life. He gets extension in his delivery and has a pitcher's frame at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. His hard 78-83 mph slider is his preferred second pitch, with a too-firm, little-used changeup also in his repertoire. Stinnett is a senior but also a legitimate top-three rounds talent with something left in the tank due to his relative inexperience as a pitcher.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A converted third baseman who became Maryland's ace in 2014, Stinnett was the Cubs' second pick in 2014. He and top pick Kyle Schwarber signed below-slot deals that helped the club sign prep pitchers Justin Steele, Carson Sands and Dylan Cease to above-slot deals in what the club hoped would be a breakthrough pitcher class. Stinnett's stuff in his first two full pro seasons never lived up to what he'd shown as an amateur, particularly his slider. A double-plus pitch at times at Maryland, it flattened out as a pro, and shoulder inflammation sidelined him for the first half of 2017. (He has a pin in his elbow from an injury in his youth.) When he returned with a rehabilitation stint in the Rookie-level Arizona League, it was as a reliever, not as a starter, and Stinnett finally started getting some of the swings and misses he did as an amateur. While his 83-84 mph slider isn't consistent yet, at times it has the power and depth of a plus pitch, and his fastball velocity kept climbing, as he sat 92-94 mph and hit 96 regularly in the Arizona Fall League. Stinnett still throws a decent changeup, even in a relief role, and the Cubs hope his stuff continues to tick up in shorter relief stints. -
The Cubs still have high hopes for Stinnett, whom they signed for $1 million in 2014, but the former Maryland ace had a tough year in terms of development. He didn't become a full-time pitcher until 2013 and learned the hard way in 2015 that throwing harder isn't always the way out of a jam. A fine athlete with an excellent body that evokes former Cubs ace Jeff Samardzija, Stinnett worked hard in the offseason to add more consistent fastball velocity, but he wasn't able to locate his heater this season nearly as well as he had as an amateur. He tied for the low Class A Midwest League lead with 16 hit batsmen and wound up backing off his velocity (which can reach 97 mph but generally sat 90-93) trying to throw more strikes. As one club official put it, "His plus Maryland slider never made it to South Bend," and Stinnett wasn't ahead of hitters enough to get to it anyway. He survived by using his fringy changeup and diminished heater to coax groundball outs, and he did compete. Stinnett still has the tools and gained valuable experience. He'll climb to high Class A in 2016, and the Cubs will see what lessons he learned from his struggles. -
The Cubs were stunned to get Stinnett with the 45th overall pick in 2014, considering how college seniors--especially those with actual tools and upside--speed up draft boards now. A California prep product, he went to Maryland as a third baseman but made 13 relief appearances as well in his first two seasons. He moved into the rotation as a junior, didn't sign as the Pirates' 29th-round pick in 2013 and blossomed in 2014, tossing 118 innings and ranking fifth in Division I with 132 strikeouts. He no-hit Massachusetts and struck out 14 in front of a bevy of scouts in a showdown with North Carolina State's Carlos Rodon in March, then led the Terrapins to their first regional (and first super regional) since 1971. Stinnett signed for $1 million and had his debut interrupted by a mishap during pitcher's fielding practice, having surgery to repair a damaged testicle. He's expected to be healthy for spring training, having regained most of the 15 pounds he lost convalescing from the injury, and could jump on the fast track thanks to his fine pitcher's frame, fairly fresh arm and big stuff. His heavy fastball peaks at 97 mph and can sit 92-95 mph, with bat-breaking armside run. His slider also earns plus grades, which features late three-quarters tilt in the 79-84 mph range. Stinnett's changeup is a clear third pitch and requires the most development. He has a pin in his elbow from a childhood injury, but so does Corey Kluber, and it hasn't hampered him as a pro. Stinnett likely will jump to high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2015.
Draft Prospects
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Stinnett came to Maryland from California as a position player, starting 40 games at third base in 2011. He hit just .174 (though he did hit five home runs) and also pitched five times, earning two saves, but he made just eight appearances in 2012. Stinnett has a pin in his elbow stemming from an injury at a younger age, but he has pitched with it for years. He pitched well in a relief role in 2012 in the New England Collegiate League and was MVP of the team's fall World Series. He started 2013 as the closer but moved into the rotation eventually, going 6-5, 2.83 and reaching 93 mph. Stinnett's stuff has continued to trend upward this spring, as he threw a no-hitter in February, dominated a head-to-head matchup in March with Carlos Rodon and North Carolina State, and has reached 97 mph with his fastball, which usually sits 92-95 with above-average life. He gets extension in his delivery and has a pitcher's frame at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. His hard 78-83 mph slider is his preferred second pitch, with a too-firm, little-used changeup also in his repertoire. Stinnett is a senior but also a legitimate top-three rounds talent with something left in the tank due to his relative inexperience as a pitcher.
