Jacob Webb is flying under the radar in Red Sox system
Do you like strikeouts? Do you also like pitchers who get outs like crazy and keeps the hits off the board?
Jacob Webb is your guy.
Webb was a 14th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2021 MLB draft out of the University of Miami-Ohio. Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, there is no wonder why his strikeout numbers are through the roof. His fastball tops out at 98 MPH and carries a slider that looks frisbee-like. The 23-year-old landed a promotion to AA Portland at the end of the 2022 season and pitched in two games.
It has been a quick climb for Webb since being drafted just two years ago. He hasn’t posted a K/9 lower than 10.54 since his community college baseball days. In his 42 games he appeared in this past season between Salem and Greenville, Webb struck out 84 batters in 53 innings. He also had a combined WHIP of 1.36. He really didn’t skip a beat between Low A and High A, so the quick rise was earned because of the ability to consistently throw strikes and keep guys off base.
The Red Sox sent eight guys to play in the Arizona Fall League in 2022 with Webb being one of the selections. Appearing in 9 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions, Webb posted a 3.60 ERA and carried his momentum he gained from last season. I was able to dig up some Statcast data from one of his games he pitched in during his time with the AFL:
Velocity on his fastball peaked at 95.1 MPH, which is a good sign to still be zipping it in there after the season in the fall. The names on this list are nothing to laugh at. Zac Veen is the Colorado Rockies number one prospect in their system. Jordan Walker is the number one prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals system. Warming Bernabel is ranked 8th in the Rockies system. Jordan Lawlar is the 12th ranked prospect in the entire minor leagues. Webb had to face real competition in the AFL and still put up solid numbers.
Climbing three levels in baseball minor leagues is no easy task, even for the top prospects of any organization. The Red Sox see something they like with Jacob Webb out of the bullpen, and it really would not shock me to see another promotion to AAA Worcester during the 2023 season.
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