Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAD | RHP | 23 | 40 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 50 | 45 | 55 | 40 | 40/30 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 25 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 219 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 Draft - Round 12
RuleV: On 40-man
Physical Description: Tall, lean, high waisted long levers and strong lower half, with some slight projection remaining in his upper body. Underwent Tommy John Surgery once as an amateur.
Delivery & Mechanics: Side step into moderate leg lift, good drive from lower half, falling off to the first base side upon finish. Has trouble staying inline with the plate from his delivery and from the stretch. Leading to strike throwing issues. Fluid motion with quick arm. Delivers from a higher three quarters release point.
Fastball: Average offering with characteristics to like, average velocity in the 92-95 mph band touching 98 mph, average spin of 2300 and 18 inches of vertical movement. It's an effective pitch when spotted in the upper quadrants and generates swings and misses tunneling with his curveball. Overall average control of the pitch, losing command at times and missing to his gloveside. Despite these location struggles it's velocity and vertical movement are factors to making the pitch average with room for more. Grade: 50
Curveball: Not used as frequently as his slider/cutter but a good pitch in its own right. It's lower spin at 2000 rpms on average but it's a highly efficient offering generating nearly 17 inches of drop. It's average velocity is 77-79 mph and an added tick or two could see the pitch make a jump in effectiveness. A fringe-average pitch due to its drop but equally his lack of feel. Grade: 45
Slider: Harder slider at 86-87 mph. It's really more of a cutter than a slider with little horizontal movement and slight vertical lift. Due to its velocity and his feel for the pitch it's quickly become his most effective swing and miss pitch. It doesn't have tremendous break, but it's tough to pick up and he throws it hard. Grade: 55
Changeup: Good separation from the fastball at 83-85 mph, shows average run and some tumble, sells the pitch with arm speed and similar release to his fastball. Will land the pitch for strikes, but feel that comes and goes. Still mastering feel for the pitch as he's only a few years into his journey as a full-time pitcher. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Below average strike thrower, will lose the zone from stretches and doesn't have pinpoint control of his fastball. It's pretty common of hard throwers to struggle with control and command and Jackson is no different. Struggles to land his fastball and slider/cutter glove side with consistency. Zone struggles lead to elevated walk rates. Control: 40 | Command: 30
Overall: A two-way talent at Utah, Jackson has been fully committed to pitching for a little over three years and significant gains have been made during that time. He now possesses a pair of average or better pitches, above average fastball velocity, a swing and miss secondary pitch and an entire arsenal of quality offerings he can throw. Jackson has the stuff for a relief role but enough starter upside with his deep pitch mix to continue as a starter. Ultimately his most likely role is a spot starter type with some upside to be a back end rotation arm or average high leverage reliever.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter - Low Leverage Relief
Risk: High
