An Inside Look at Pirates Second Round Pick Jared Jones After Signing

The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to sign their first draft pick of 2020 yesterday when they signed their second-round pick Jared Jones. The young high school arm has plus stuff in his arsenal but needs to work on his command in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues.

The 2020 MLB Draft offered unique challenges for teams across Major League Baseball both before and after the draft. With only a limited number of selections available to each team, general managers were forced to rethink their draft boards and had to pass on some of the guys they were previously taking a look at. The limited number of picks offered a uniquely different challenge after the draft, as teams now scramble to sign all of their picks. The Pittsburgh Pirates accomplished the first part of that challenge when they signed their second-round draft pick Jared Jones on Tuesday.

Jones was thought to be one of the hardest draft picks to sign given that he already had a commitment to the University of Texas. In a quote before the draft, Jones said that the deal offered to him would have to be just right for him to forgo his college education and head for professional baseball. However, the Pirates were determined to sign the young pitching talent and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. The details of the signing bonus had not been released prior to writing this article, but General Manager Been Cherrington took a chance on the young high school arm in hopes that he could develop into a top pitching prospect in the Pirates Minor League system.

Coming into the draft, Jones was ranked as a second-round type prospect with a fastball in the mid-90s and a plus slider. He comes to the Pirates from La Mirada High School in Southern California where he posted impressive numbers over his four years. According to Max Preps, Jones would go 20-6 with a 0.89 ERA with the Matadores in 180.1 innings of work. Over those four years, he has proved that he can pitch in big situations, as he threw two no-hitters and a perfect game in his high school career. He showed a great strikeout rate of 36.6%, striking out 255 of his 696 batters faced, but his control was not exactly where you wanted it as he walked 78 batters in his four years.

From the moment he made the high school team, Jones was one of the top starters on the team. During his freshman season, he made 10 starts for the Matadores and posted a 1.42 ERA in 29.2 innings of work. From day one of his high school career, he showed a strong ability to strike out the opposition and set down 34 batters while allowing a .250 opponent batting average. From then on, Jones would be a staple in the La Mirada starting rotation and never posted another ERA over one in his next three seasons of play.

His best high school season came during his Junior year when he went an impressive 7-1 with a 0.77 ERA in 64 innings of work. Opponents hit just .114 against Jones that season while he struck out 94 batters while walking 29 during the season. By that time, Jones had already established himself as an MLB Draft prospect and was getting looks from Division I colleges across the country. He was excited to receive an offer from one of the best college baseball programs in the country when the Texas Longhorns offered him to come play for them. This would make the decision to sign pro rather difficult for the young right-hander and he went into his senior year looking to continue his dominance.

However, Coronavirus struck and shortened the season, but Jones still managed to make three appearances on the mound and post a 0.82 ERA in 17 innings of work. He improved his control, walking six batters while keeping his strikeout rate up with 29 on the season. It was his ability to strike batters out, and his lively right arm that intrigued the Pirates and led to them selecting him with the 44th overall pick. Jones gives the Pirates another young talented arm in their farm system, but he will have to work out some of the command issues that have plagued him throughout his high school career.

The young right-hander took steps in the right direction during his senior year dropping his walk rate to a career-low 9%, six walks in 65 batters faced. If he can continue that downward trend, it will bode well for his development. He will more than likely start his Pirates career with either the Bristol Pirates or the Gulf Coast League Pirates given his age and things he needs to work on. This will give him a chance to compete against guys right around his age and give him an opportunity to continue to improve his control. It also might help boost his confidence, as his velocity should play well in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues.

At 6'1, 185 pounds, there is still room for Jones to grow into his body, and that should help take his velocity up a notch or two during his time in the Minor Leagues. His fastball already sits in a good spot hitting anywhere from 91 to 93 miles per hour, but if he can get that up to 95 to 96 consistently, that will take him from a good pitching prospect to a great pitching prospect. He also has that plus slider in his arsenal, which he can use to build off of his high-velocity fastball as he looks to get batters swinging out of the zone. His final pitch is one he is still working on as he adds a change-up, that mimics his fastball coming in at about 89 to 90 miles per hour.

With the third pitch added to his arsenal, he just has to work on perfecting that change-up and mixing up his pitches effectively. If he can do that, and improve on his command, he could turn out to be another top pitching prospect in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues. He would be joining the ranks of guys like Quinn Priester as the next generation of Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers. He still has a long way to go in his development before he could be considered a Major League talent, but the initial projections are good for the right-handed pitcher.