Tigers call up top prospect amid playoff push

Mar 30, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of a Detroit Tigers player before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers have surged into playoff contention with a shocking second-half surge, and they are going all-out for the final week of the season to try and lock down a spot.

The Tigers are calling up top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe for the final week of the season, according to multiple reports. Jobe, the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is expected to pitch out of the bullpen.

The Detroit Tigers are calling up Jackson Jobe, the best pitching prospect in baseball. He’ll join the bullpen as the Tigers try to lock down an AL wild card spot. They control their own destiny this week and will face the Rays for three games and finish against the White Sox.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 23, 2024

Jobe turned 22 at the end of July and only made his Triple-A debut this month. The Tigers clearly believe he can help out of the bullpen now, and they may be right. He struck out 261 batters over 233 career minor league innings, and MLB Pipeline ranks him as the top pitching prospect in the game.

Thanks to a 27-11 stretch despite being a trade deadline seller, the Tigers will enter play on Tuesday holding the AL’s final Wild Card spot. They have six games left, all of them at home, including three against the lowly Chicago White Sox. That gives them a real possibility of making their first playoff appearance since 2014.