Jackson Ferris

Originally a product of Mount Airy High in North Carolina, Ferris transferred to IMG Academy, where he wowed scouts during his junior season by posting a 0.55 ERA over 50.2 innings and striking out 86 batters compared to just 13 walks. He made significant velocity increases throughout his high school career, and over the 2021 showcase circuit was regularly around 93 mph and touching 96-97 mph at peak from the left side. On top of that fastball, Ferris has flashed multiple above-average secondaries: a mid-70s curveball with impressive depth and spin (2,400-2,600 rpm) and a mid-80s changeup that’s thrown with fastball arm speed. That loud stuff did come with some inconsistencies that scouts hadn’t previously seen from him as an underclassman, and throughout the 2022 spring he was largely the same pitcher—good pure stuff, but scattered and inconsistent command from outing to outing. Many scouts believe Ferris’ complicated, contorting delivery is simultaneously a boon for his deception and a burden for overall consistency. There’s tilt and drift during Ferris’ leg lift, with plenty of length and hooking action in the back of his arm slot, and then finally a crossfiring lower half in his landing. He’s not always on time with his release at foot strike and many in the industry believe he’ll need to clean up some of those moving parts to make the most out of his obvious arm talent. Ferris is committed to Mississippi but has plenty of interest among the top two rounds.