Brett Jacobson
| IP | 272 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.864 |
| WHIP | 1.548 |
| BB/9 | 5.691 |
| SO/9 | 7.346 |
- Full name Brett S Jacobson
- Born 11/09/1986 in Phoenix, AZ
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Vanderbilt
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Drafted in the 4th round (133rd overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2008 (signed for $230,000).
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Jacobsen was the Arizona high school player of the year as a senior and rated by BA as the No. 93 prospect for the 2005 draft. Because of a dip in velocity and a strong commitment to Vanderbilt, however, he slipped to the Diamondbacks in the 11th round. He honored his commitment to the Commodores and made just six appearances--two starts--as a freshman. He split time between starting and relieving as a sophomore, but has seen more time in the pen this season, making only four starts and serving as Vandy's closer. Jacobsen has been a tough guy for scouts to figure out. As a starter he pitches between 88-91 mph, but as a reliever his velocity jumps to the mid-90s. He also throws a slurvy breaking ball and changeup, both with potential to be average. The inability to consistently throw strikes has been Jacobsen's downfall, keeping him out of a starting role, and that's the reason most scouts think he'll be a reliever in the pros as well. Jacobsen is 6-foot-6, 205 pounds and pitches from a three-quarters arm slot. He has effort in his delivery, but can pitch downhill with a steep plane when he's on. He's a high risk, high reward prospect.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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When the Tigers went looking for a veteran bat to try to keep their sinking ship afloat last September, the Orioles were happy to oblige, sending them Aubrey Huff in exchange for Jacobson. His power repertoire always has been intriguing but has never added up to dominant results, which explains why he lasted until the fourth round in 2008 and why Detroit was willing to deal him just a year later. Jacobson's fastball runs from 89-95 mph, and he sits more at 92-95 when he's at his best. He throws straight over the top, giving hitters a different look and creating a good downward plane when he's on, but he left the ball up too often last year and had trouble repeating his delivery. His hard curveball offers a nice contrast to his fastball, and he uses his changeup against lefthanders. His changeup has sink and he throws it with good arm speed. Jacobson always has seemed best suited for a relief role, and kept ending up in the bullpen when he tried to start at Vanderbilt. He didn't work much on his secondary pitches while with Detroit, so Baltimore had him focus on those pitches and was impressed by his work ethic. He has the pure stuff to close games but probably profiles best as a setup man. He'll work in the Bowie bullpen to open 2010. -
Jacobson has a tremendous arm and great pitcher's body, but he fell to the fourth round of the 2008 draft because of his uneven performance in college. He started games in each of his three seasons at Vanderbilt but finished each year in the bullpen. Signed for $230,000, Jacobson has had his greatest success as a reliever and his mentality is best suited for that role. His best pitch is his fastball, which sat at 88-91 mph when he started but jumps to 92-95 mph when he works out of the bullpen. He did a better job of commanding his heater in his pro debut than he had in college, which led to a successful summer. Jacobson's over-the-top release point creates good downward action on his fastball, and hitters have difficulty elevating it. An exaggerated leg kick and herky-jerky delivery add some deception. He had thrown a slider but had trouble locating it in the strike zone, so Tigers pitching coordinator Jon Matlack helped him install a curveball during instructional league. Jacobson came up with a hard, 12-to-6 breaker that fits his high arm slot better. His changeup is promising but still has a ways to go, and he probably won't use it much as a reliever. He has the power stuff to profile as a setup man. Jacobson will move up to high Class A in 2009 and could move quickly.
