The Detroit Tigers drafted baseball’s top pitcher, Jackson Jobe, on Monday. To help with a Wild Card push in the next week or so, Jobe will pitch out of the bullpen. He did not appear on Tuesday and made his major league debut on Wednesday.

Jobe threw the ninth pitch in the 7-1 win. He threw nine pitches and allowed one hit without hitting or running either opponent. After the game, he spoke about his highly anticipated debut.

“I mean, it was crazy. I don’t think it really hit me, but it would be difficult to do better with this crowd and the situation this team is in. That was really special.” “Absolutely,” he explained, smiling the whole time.

The 22-year-old Jobe was the third pick out of high school in the 2021 draft. He experienced some struggles and injuries in his first two years in the system, but he had a major breakthrough in 2024.

In 21 minor league starts across three levels, the right-hander threw 91.2 innings with a 2.36 ERA and 94 strikeouts. As it stands, his breakout season has him ranked sixth overall in baseball in terms of prospects and best pitcher, according to MLB Pipeline.

While it may not have been the most hyped pitching debut of the season, it was undoubtedly a big deal. And the youngster was still confident.

“There wasn’t a real in-depth scouting report for me, it was basically just trusting your stuff, attacking the zone, and that’s what I did. Trust Ding (Dillon Dingler) back there, trust in my stuff plays a role here, and “I think that’s true,” the 22-year-old said.

Jobe is known for having more than three pitches. The best of these is his slider, which is rated at 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

It wasn’t the flashiest of debuts, but the confidence the right-hander showed against hits in the major leagues should inspire Detroit going forward. Because he was called up so late, it’s unlikely he’ll be a starter this season, but he can still be valuable going forward.

If he continues to show that his team is up to the standard, he could see some high-leverage innings in the postseason. Then next year he can start going for a one-two with Tarik Skubal.