The Detroit Tigers signed their No. 3 overall pick, right-handed pitcher Jackson Jobe, on Friday, the team announced. They also signed power-hitting infielder Izaac Pacheco, the No. 39 overall pick.
Jobe, 18, is from Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Pacheco, 18, hails from Friendswood High School in Texas. Jobe signed for $6.9 million, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. The total is below the $7,221,200 slot value for the No. 3 pick.
Pacheco signed for $2.75 million, above the $1,906,800 slot value for the No. 39 pick.
Both players are currently in Lakeland, Florida, home of the Tigers’ spring training facility, to begin their professional careers. The team’s performance science crew will measure the strengths and weakness of each player before deciding whether they will participate in professional games this season.
“It’s going to be a process,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said Tuesday, discussing Jobe’s immediate future. “We’re hopeful that if that process goes well and we feel he’s going to be able to throw, then if we have enough time, we’ll probably get him to pitch in games toward the end of the season in Lakeland at some point.
“Everybody will have an individualized program. Some guys will end up throwing for us, and some guys will probably just do more strength and conditioning.”
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As a senior, Jobe went 9-0 with a 0.13 ERA, five walks and 122 strikeouts over 51⅔ innings. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound righty — considered the highest upside pitcher in the 2021 draft — is best known for his wipeout slider but can reach 99 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also throws a change-up and a curveball.
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“We’re very happy and ecstatic to have Jackson Jobe, that kind of talent,” Avila said. “I was able to go see him pitch, as well as the other guys that we were talking about. All the players we were talking about, we liked them all. They’re all good players and have their merits on why they were high picks.
“We just felt that Jackson Jobe really has high upside. We felt they don’t come along too often. We had to take advantage of that at this point.”
The Tigers selected a pitcher in the first round during four of the past six drafts. He joined right-handers Matt Manning (No. 9 overall in 2016), Alex Faedo (No. 18 overall in 2017) and Casey Mize (No. 1 overall in 2018). Detroit took outfielder Riley Greene with the No. 5 overall pick in 2019 and first/third baseman Spencer Torkelson at No. 1 overall in 2020.
“I know they have a great group of young guys,” Jobe said July 11, the night he was drafted. “I’m ready to add to that and eventually compete and win a World Series.”
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Pacheco played 34 games as a senior, hitting .543 with 12 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 45 RBIs with a 1.611 on-base plus slugging percentage. As a junior, despite the season being cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he hit .414 with six doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs.
Although Pacheco (6-4, 225 pounds) handled shortstop in high school, he might end up as a third baseman or corner outfielder because of his size.
“If I can work to stay at shortstop, that’s great,” Pacheco said July 12. “But for me, I’m a guy who can play anywhere in the field. I really use my stick as my big thing. I’ll do anything to help my team win. Whether that’s playing third, short or whatever the case might be, I’m open to it.”
On Monday, the Tigers signed Texas right-handed pitcher Ty Madden for $2.5 million, above the $2,257,300 value for the No. 32 overall pick. He visited Comerica Park to meet with manager AJ Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter when he signed.
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Detroit has signed 14 of the 21 players it drafted: Jobe, Madden, Pacheco, right-hander Tyler Mattison (Round 4, $400,000 signing bonus), right-hander Tanner Kohlhepp (Round 5, $400,000), first baseman Austin Murr (Round 6, $200,000), left-hander Brant Hurter (Round 7, $241,000), right-hander Jordan Marks (Round 8, $150,000), right-hander Garrett Burhenn (Round 9, $160,800), catcher Mike Rothenberg (Round 12, $125,000), right-hander Blake Houb (Round 15), right-hander Aaron Haase (Round 17, $125,000), outfielder Ben Malgeri (Round 18, $125,000) and outfielder JD McLaughlin (Round 20).
The Tigers have yet to sign Alabama right-hander Dylan Smith (Round 3), Central Florida catcher Josh Crouch (Round 11), Toledo third baseman Chris Meyers (Round 13), Charleston Southern right-hander RJ Petit (Round 14), St. Edward’s right-hander Blake Holub (Round 15), Florida State right-hander Jack Anderson (Round 16) and Western Carolina first baseman Justice Bigbie (Round 19).
Jobe and Pacheco were the only high school players selected by the Tigers.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.