LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter stood behind a fence near the bullpens.
General manager Al Avila and top assistants Sam Menzin, Jay Sartori and David Chadd settled in the same area, along with vice president of player development Ryan Garko. Baseball Hall of Famer Alan Trammell stopped his activities to see what was happening.
Minor-league pitching director Gabe Ribas positioned himself behind the mound and gave instructions.
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Everyone was eager to watch Jackson Jobe, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, throw his first bullpen of spring training at the TigerTown complex. The 19-year-old will throw another bullpen Sunday before facing live hitters Wednesday.
Jobe showcased his fastball, slider and changeup.
“We were just taking it nice and easy,” Jobe said Thursday after his 33-pitch bullpen. “I felt good. Fastball command felt good, slider’s there, and I feel like the changeup has come a long way this offseason.”
The best view came from catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, a 22-year-old who could pair with Jobe at High-A West Michigan during the 2022 season. (Ty Madden, the 32nd overall pick in 2021, threw his bullpen to Double-A Erie catcher Dillon Dingler.)
Alfonzo, who has played 253 games in his pro career, was flabbergasted.
“He’s a young guy, but he looks older,” Alfonzo said Thursday. “He has pretty good command of the (strike) zone and really good stuff. He’s an amazing guy. He’s going to do a lot of good things for this organization in the future.”
Jobe, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander, is best known for his wipeout slider, which features elite spin rates above 3,000 rpm. His fastball has a riding action and sits around 95 mph, sometimes reaching 99 mph; it too boasts high spin rates. He throws an above-average changeup in the low-80s and an upper-70s curveball.
“I don’t know which one is better, his slider or changeup, but he can control both,” Alfonzo said. “He’s got a pretty good slider, and his fastball is good. He’s got really good spin on the ball. Both pitches are really good. He can control everything. He’s going to do a lot of good things for this team.”
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Alfonzo said Jobe made “a little adjustment” with his slider as he got loose during the bullpen.
When the bullpen ended, Alfonzo checked in with Jobe.
“I asked him about how he felt in his first bullpen with the Tigers as a professional,” Alfonzo said. “He told me he feels pretty good. … He told me he’s going to progress really good during this camp.”
Jobe is coming off a dominant senior season for Heritage Hall High in Oklahoma City, posting a 9-0 record with a 0.13 ERA, five walks and 112 strikeouts over 51⅔ innings. He has yet to pitch in a professional game and should start his career with Low-A Lakeland or High-A West Michigan.
The all-eyes-on-him experience, especially with Hinch and Fetter involved, is something Jobe is still getting used to.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” Jobe said. “I threw a little touch and feel yesterday, and they were all behind me. I had a little adrenaline going. But it’s awesome. I love it. I know I’m going to have a lot of eyes on me in my first outing, so it’s good to be surrounded by that.”
On Wednesday, Jobe plans to face 19-year-old shortstop Izaac Pacheco in live batting practice. Pacheco, drafted 39th overall in 2021 out of Friendswood High in Texas, is traveling to Florida on Friday, and Jobe is scheduled to pick him up from the airport.
They have been friends since September 2020.
“I’m ready for those live hitters,” Jobe said. “Get Izaac out here.”
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For Alfonzo, catching Jobe’s first bullpen was monumental.
“It’s a big honor for me,” Alfonzo said. “Everybody’s eyes are on him. Everybody’s looking at what he’s doing right now. I’m just trying to take as much as possible from those guys like him. It helps me as a catcher.”
And Alfonzo can’t wait to work with Jobe during the regular season.
The end goal, he hopes, is that they become a regular combination in the big leagues.
“He’s got pretty good stuff and can command his entire stuff,” Alfonzo said. “He’s going to be a good pitcher. He looks like he’s a good teammate, too. I just met him two days ago, but he looks like a pretty good guy and a pretty good teammate.
“He’s going to be a leader for the team.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.