Nate Jones

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #22 prospect in 2012
  Moved back into the bullpen after spending 2010 as a starter, Jones continued to flash the two pitches that made Bobby Jenks successful with the White Sox: a triple-digit fastball and a knee-buckling curveball. After going on the disabled list in mid-May with shoulder tendinitis, Jones returned to record a 2.49 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 47 innings the rest of the way. While his fastball resides in the mid-90s and his curveball can be a true hammer, there's one important difference between him and Jenks. He never has commanded those weapons the way Jenks did when he was at the top of his game, though Jones is less wild than he was when he entered pro ball in 2007. He still pitches behind in the count too often and has to sacrifice stuff to get the ball over the plate, getting hit harder than he should. He has shortened his delivery in recent years but still has trouble repeating it. Jones has developed a cut fastball that sometimes is more trustworthy than his curveball, and he uses it to keep lefthanders off his fastball. After some work in the Puerto Rican Winter League, he'll probably open the season in Triple-A but could finish it in Chicago.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #26 prospect in 2010
  Depending on whom you talk to, Jones is either the most exciting arm in the system or a complete longshot. He has moved slowly through the system and was used carefully between two Class A leagues last season, but when his mechanics and approach are right, he can be lights out. Jones is a long, lanky righthander who's all about power. His fastball can sit in the high 90s, spiking as high as 99 mph, and his curveball can be the same kind of hammer that helped Bobby Jenks have immediate success when he reached the big leagues. Jones' curveball is inconsistent, though, lacking depth at times and prompting some thought that he should turn it into a slider. He showed improved control last season and has made adjustments in his delivery, shortening it somewhat. He also worked mostly out of the stretch in 2009. While most see Jones as a possible late-inning reliever, it's unclear if he'll be able to handle the strain of getting ready quickly and pitching often. The White Sox may send him back to Winston- Salem and use him as a starter in 2010 to develop more consistency, especially with his curveball.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #33 prospect in 2009
  Jones has some of the best stuff in the White Sox system but never has been able to find the strike zone, not even with a GPS or a group of Sherpas leading the way. Because of his wildness, Jones worked only 82 innings in three years at NCAA Division II Northern Kentucky, but that didn't deter the White Sox from drafting him in the fifth round in 2007. He has gone just 2-11, 5.72 while splitting time between starting and relieving in pro ball, but Chicago dreams of what he might do if he could add polish to a deadly pair of pitches. He has gained velocity on his fastball as a pro, working in the mid-90s and hitting 99 mph at times last season, and his knee-buckling curveball gets scouts buzzing even more. Hitters fall down trying to escape curves that break over the plate for strikes, though he often has trouble locating his breaking ball. He has no feel for a changeup, so he's probably going to wind up as a reliever in the long run. Scouts don't like his delivery or arm action, and he missed seven weeks during the summer with a strained shoulder. The White Sox will send him back to low Class A as a starter in 2009 to get him as many innings as possible.