Jake Esch

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #12 prospect in 2017
  A prep shortstop in Minnesota, Esch was mostly a middle infielder at Georgia Tech, but scouts believed his pro future would be on the mound even though he pitched just five innings as a junior. The Marlins liked his arm strength and grabbed him in the 11th round. Esch finally got to Double-A in 2015 and took a big step forward, executing his pitches down in the zone and showing improvements across the board. The Marlins put him on the 40-man roster last December, paving his way to make his big league debut in 2016. As expected of a former position player, Esch is athletic, with a smooth arm action and clean delivery. He has a two-seam and four-seam fastball at 90-94 mph, a slider that ranges 82-86 that flashes average to tick above and a changeup with fade that can be too firm at times. The 26-year-old Esch profiles as a back-end starter, and with the untimely death of Jose Fernandez, is likely to push for a big league job in 2017.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #13 prospect in 2016
  Esch played shortstop in high school in St. Paul, Minn., and played both ways at Georgia Tech. He ranked in the top 20 in Division I with 23 doubles, but scouts liked his arm better, even though Esch pitched just five innings for the Yellow Jackets as a junior. The Marlins took a chance on his arm strength by making him an 11th-round pick in 2011. He has developed a full starter's repertoire, throwing a two-seam fastball and a four-seamer that sits 90-94 mph. He throws an 82-86 mph slider that has flashed above-average potential and a curveball that shows average. He has some feel for a changeup, which has some fade but tends to be too firm. A superb athlete, Esch fields his position well and has a smooth delivery and clean arm action. Injury issues have limited him two of the past three years. He experienced shoulder tendinitis in 2013 and then a left oblique strain in 2015, though he still reached Triple-A. Given his time as a position player, Esch has a relatively fresh arm for his age. Given his pitch mix and physicality, Esch has a ceiling of a No. 5 starter and, after joining the 40-man roster in November, he might not require much more minor league time. He should return to Triple-A New Orleans to open 2016.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #31 prospect in 2015
  The Marlins are still waiting for Esch to take off, and the alumnus of the Twin Cities' Cretin-Derham Hall--the same high school that produced Joe Mauer--has shown flashes. He had struggled for a year and a half at high Class A Jupiter before figuring things out in his final 10 starts of 2014, when he improved the location on his fastball and worked down in the zone more effectively. One of the system's best athletes, Esch is the system's best defensive pitcher, hearkening back to his middle infield days at Georgia Tech, where he pitched rarely. His fastball improved in 2014 as he pushed his 90-94 mph fastball up to 96 in August and kept it down. It has natural cut that he's learning to tame. He's athletic enough to maintain good separation on his cutter-type slider and curveball, which has 11-to-5 shape. His changeup tends to be too firm and has armside action as well. Esch has the stuff to start, and he'll test the waters at Double-A Jacksonville in 2015.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #23 prospect in 2013
  Esch played baseball, basketball and football at Cretin-Derham Hall, the same St. Paul high school that produced Joe Mauer, before heading to Georgia Tech. A relief pitcher as a freshman, he played second base for a season alongside Derek Dietrich, then replaced Dietrich at shortstop in 2011. Though Esch worked just five innings in his draft year, the Marlins had seen him throw well during fall practice. They took him as a pitcher and paid him $200,000 in the 11th round. Despite his inexperience, he has a clean delivery and a feel for throwing strikes. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph and reaches 96 with good downhill plane. He throws both a slider and a curveball and separates them well, and both should become average offerings. He has the elements of a nice changeup, but it's lags behind his other pitches for now. He fields his position like an extra infielder, popping off the hill to snare anything in his vicinity. Esch has the stuff to be a solid mid-rotation starter and made as much progress as anyone in the system last year. He pitched for Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic qualifier in the fall and will likely return to low Class A to open 2013.

• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  Esch played shortstop in high school in St. Paul, Minn., and played both ways at Georgia Tech. He ranked in the top 20 in Division I with 23 doubles, but scouts liked his arm better, even though Esch pitched just five innings for the Yellow Jackets as a junior. The Marlins took a chance on his arm strength by making him an 11th-round pick in 2011. He has developed a full starter's repertoire, throwing a two-seam fastball and a four-seamer that sits 90-94 mph. He throws an 82-86 mph slider that has flashed above-average potential and a curveball that shows average. He has some feel for a changeup, which has some fade but tends to be too firm. A superb athlete, Esch fields his position well and has a smooth delivery and clean arm action. Injury issues have limited him two of the past three years. He experienced shoulder tendinitis in 2013 and then a left oblique strain in 2015, though he still reached Triple-A. Given his time as a position player, Esch has a relatively fresh arm for his age. Given his pitch mix and physicality, Esch has a ceiling of a No. 5 starter and, after joining the 40-man roster in November, he might not require much more minor league time. He should return to Triple-A New Orleans to open 2016.