It would be optimistic to say that Sunday’s start from Jared Jones is the worst we can expect from him. However, it’s accurate to say that this was an example of how things could fall apart for him in any given start.
Prior to Sunday, we’ve only seen Jones handle the majors with ease, backed by his fastball/slider combo. Neither pitch was working on Sunday, which is the first time that Jones has been without his top two options.
The four-seam led to two whiffs on 14 swings, and four more called strikes for an overall 19% called and swinging strike rate. The slider had the same CSW%, with one whiff on 17 swings, and four called strikes. Jones is coming off a start where he had 25 swing and miss pitches, with most coming from the fastball/slider.
In response to his top two pitches not working, Jones turned more to the changeup. He threw the changeup 18 times, getting four whiffs on 13 swings for his highest rate of any pitch on Sunday (31%). He also threw seven curveballs, getting three called strikes.
Jones gave up three runs in five innings, allowing six hits, a walk, and two home runs. He struck out three, absent of his swing and miss effectiveness. The problems today seemed to be isolated to Jones, as Luis Ortiz struck out three in two shutout frames, and Kyle Nicolas pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
That’s baseball. No starter is going to have his best stuff every outing, and there will be some outings where none of the best pitches are working. It would be optimistic to say this is the worst we can expect from Jones. However, if this was an example of a bad start where his stuff wasn’t working, the end results are still encouraging.
The Pirates lost 3-2, but the fact Jones had them in the game without his fastball/slider combo is impressive.
STATCAST HEROES
Rowdy Tellez had two doubles, one at 109 MPH and one at 105.2. The latter one led to a run scored in the ninth inning. STATS
The minor league Statcast Heroes can be found in the nightly Pirates Prospect Watch.
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
Prospect Watch: Termarr Johnson Hits First Homer of the Year
First Pitch: Evaluating a Plate Appearance Like a Game of Chess
Subscribe to Pirates Prospects Daily below for free, and get these Pittsburgh Pirates updates delivered to your inbox.
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
Anthony Solometo picks up a strikeout in the first inning for Altoona.
One strikeout in a scoreless first inning for @King_S0L32!
LISTEN: https://t.co/aioWvW3Svf
Watch FREE: https://t.co/4fbKtxJjM4 pic.twitter.com/WVgOPDyskD— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 28, 2024
Termarr Johnson homers to start the game in Greensboro.
Termarr Johnson starts the game with a bang!
MLB's top 2B prospect swats a leadoff homer for his first jack of the season for the @GSOHoppers.@Pirates | @MLBDevelops pic.twitter.com/yPqOU38oQo
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 28, 2024
Garret Forrester is starting to hit in Bradenton.
Marauders take the lead in the fourth! Garret Forrester has extended his on-base streak eight games pic.twitter.com/fM3p3fE1nj
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) April 28, 2024
ROSTER MOVES
- Altoona catcher Abrahan Gutierrez was placed on the 7-day IL with a hamstring issue, according to Jarrod Prugar of the Altoona Mirror.
TODAY: PIRATES (14-15) AT ATHLETICS (12-17)
Game Time: 9:40 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
Pirates Starter: Bailey Falter, LHP (2-1, 3.33)
Athletics Starter: Joe Boyle, RHP (1-4, 7.06)
In the Minors…
The minors are off on Monday.
LAST WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
This week’s premium article drop for Patreon subscribers looks at players in Single-A with the Bradenton Marauders. Like every other level, this group is highlighted by interesting pitchers. There are also some hitters to follow on the position player side, which I broke down in my premium column.
**Williams: Pirates Prospects Sleepers to Follow in Single-A
Michael Kennedy was an over-slot prep pick in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The lefty is in his first full-season league in pro ball, and showed promise this past weekend with an eight strikeout performance.
**Michael Kennedy Shows Path to Big Leagues With Eight Strikeout Performance
Khristian Curtis has a six pitch mix, despite not having a lot of time on the mound in his pitching career. The Pirates gave him an over-slot bonus as a 12th rounder last year, giving them the chance to develop his arsenal.
**Khristian Curtis Features Big Stuff From a Six Pitch Mix
Carlson Reed is showing promise in his early results with Bradenton. The West Virginia draftee has a 2.45 ERA in his first three starts this year, after being taken in the fourth round last year.
**West Virginia Pitcher Carlson Reed is Off to a Great Start With the Pirates
Relievers aren’t usually prospects in the lower levels, but Magdiel Cotto is a lefty who can get his fastball up to 95. The Pirates went over-slot on him in the 11th round last year, and he’s showing good results as a reliever in the 2024 season.
**Magdiel Cotto is an Over-Slot Lefty With a Fastball That Gets Up to 95
The Pirates traded for Connor Oliver at the start of the season, getting something in return for Colin Selby. This marks his sixth different organization since the start of 2020, with hopes that the Pirates can develop the lefty into an MLB option.
**Connor Oliver Remains on the Move With Trade to Pirates
SONG OF THE DAY
