Ben Jacobs' Fastball Is Flat-Out Scary and No One in Baseball Can Touch It
You know we bleed green and blue here in the Emerald City. While our M's are out there grinding, sometimes you just gotta tip your cap to pure, unadulterated talent exploding onto the scene elsewhere. And right now, we're talking about a couple of southpaw pitchers making waves so big, Baseball America is already calling them "up-arrow" prospects. First up, Ben Jacobs, the dude the Detroit Tigers nabbed in the third round last summer, is absolutely tearing it up in his first pro season. And people are noticing, for good reason!
This Tigers Prospect Is Unlocking His Fastball
Jacobs, just 22, started his pro career in Low-A Lakeland, and it was straight-up lights out. He posted a ridiculous 1.08 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP across 16⅔ innings over four appearances, with 24 strikeouts to only six walks. After a bump to high Single-A West Michigan, his ERA jumped a bit to 4.15 with 14 walks, but opponents are still only hitting .178 against him in 26 innings. Across both stops, he's fanned 64 hitters in 42⅔ innings, with opponents hitting a paltry .163.
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Baseball America's Ian Cundall spilled the tea on Jacobs' insane jump, saying the dude made "small mechanical tweaks" that totally unlocked his fastball. His extension leaped from 5.84 feet to over 6.3 feet, and the velocity is up a tick. His fastball now plays above its actual velocity, leading to an almost 40% whiff rate! He complements that heater with a splitter, curveball, and slider, all showing bat-missing ability with whiff rates above 40%. The guy has skyrocketed from No. 19 to No. 6 in Baseball America's Tigers prospect list. The only thing slowing him down? Inconsistent strike-throwing, with his walk rate ticking from 9.5% in Low-A to 13.1% in High-A. Still, MLB Pipeline already put him on their early all-breakout team. He's the only pitcher in the Tigers' top 10 prospects, carving out a spot in their hitter-heavy system.
Orioles Pitcher Joseph Dzierwa Is Also Climbing Fast
Not to be outdone, another lefty, Joseph Dzierwa, is also on that "up-arrow" list. This Michigan State product was Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and got picked by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round (No. 58 overall) in the 2025 MLB Draft. He's already reached Double-A in his first pro season! Dzierwa, also 22, has been stellar in Double-A Chesapeake, posting a 2.70 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in five games (four starts), with 33 strikeouts and just five walks in 26⅔ innings since his promotion from high Single-A Frederick. He's climbed 12 spots to No. 5 in the Orioles' prospect rankings.
Ian Cundall mentioned Dzierwa making some serious noise in a "Spring Breakout game" where he struck out eight Red Sox hitters in three innings. He's carried that straight into the regular season, throwing a 2.41 ERA across High-A and Double-A with 83 strikeouts and only 15 walks.
What This Means for the Emerald City
So, two young lefties are absolutely crushing it, making noise across the league. It's wild to see this kind of talent emerge so quickly. Speaking of the Orioles, our Mariners just took them down, 3-1, in a solid early season win at home. While these guys aren't in our system, seeing this kind of talent develop just makes you appreciate how tough this league is. Every team is gunning for greatness, and Jacobs and Dzierwa are going to be a problem for a lot of teams for years to come. Go M's!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.