Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Hailing from renowned California high school Huntington Beach, Jacobs began his college career close to home at UCLA. After getting just five innings on the mound as a freshman in 2023, he transferred to Arizona State and began his sophomore season pitching out of the Sun Devils bullpen, then eventually evolved into becoming their Friday night starter. He resumed that role in 2025 after a summer in which he made a few solid appearances in the Cape Cod League and for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. The Tigers selected him in the third round in July and signed him for $722,500.

When he’s clicking like he was at the end of 2024, Jacobs looks every bit like a prototypical college lefty with a starting pitcher’s repertoire and solid feel for what he’s doing on the mound. None of his individual offerings jump off the page, but he misses bats with all three of his pitches. It starts with a fastball that typically sits in the 92-94 mph range, touching 95-96 at times. It was not missing as many bats of late as it did in 2024, when it had decent life up in the zone to go along with solid deception. He has a traditional slider he throws in the 78-83 mph range and his low-80s changeup features good fade.

Jacobs has struggled with his command at times during his college career, but he repeats his delivery well and is competitive in and around the zone, so there’s some confidence he’ll get to more consistent strikes as he advances. His ceiling might be a little limited because of the lack of a true out pitch, but he has a real shot at being a back end starter.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Hailing from renowned California high school Huntington Beach, Jacobs began his college career close to home at UCLA. After getting just five innings on the mound as a freshman in 2023, he transferred to Arizona State and began his sophomore season pitching out of the Sun Devils bullpen, then eventually evolved into becoming their Friday night starter. He resumed that role in 2025 after a summer in which he made a few solid appearances in the Cape Cod League and for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team.

When he’s clicking like he was at the end of 2024, Jacobs looks every bit like a prototypical college lefty with a starting pitcher’s repertoire and solid feel for what he’s doing on the mound. None of his individual offerings jump off the page, but he misses bats with all three of his pitches. It starts with a fastball that typically sits in the 92-94 mph range, touching 95-96 at times. It was not missing as many bats as it did in 2024, when it had decent life up in the zone to go along with solid deception. He has a traditional slider he throws in the 78-83 mph range and his low-80s changeup features good fade.

Jacobs has struggled with his command at times during his college career, but he repeats his delivery well and is competitive in and around the zone, so there’s some confidence he’ll get to more consistent strikes as he advances. His ceiling might be a little limited because of the lack of a true out pitch, but he’s the kind of back-end starter who has the chance to land in the top three rounds.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/04/2025	FCL Tigers activated LHP Ben Jacobs.
	07/24/2025	LHP Ben Jacobs assigned to FCL Tigers.
	07/23/2025	Detroit Tigers signed LHP Ben Jacobs.
	06/03/2025	LHP Ben Jacobs assigned to College Workout.
	03/20/2025	LHP Ben Jacobs assigned to Arizona State Sun Devils.
	06/10/2024	LHP Ben Jacobs assigned to Cotuit Kettleers.
	02/19/2024	LHP Ben Jacobs assigned to Arizona State Sun Devils.
	05/04/2023	Burlington Sock Puppets activated LHP Ben Jacobs.
	06/11/2022	LHP Ben Jacobs and assigned to College Workout.
	02/03/2022	LHP Ben Jacobs and assigned to Home Team.