2025 Pirates X-factor: Jared Jones
p/c: Matthew Stockman
While Paul Skenes took the baseball world by storm, as a rookie phenom in 2024, another first year arm was also looking to impress in the big leagues, and that arm was Jared Jones.
A second round selection of the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2020 MLB Draft, Jones made a quick, ascension through the Pirates’ system.
During spring training, one competition resided in the Pirates’ rotation, with two spots up for grabs. As it turned out, Jones absolutely dominated, to the point where he was arguably the best pitcher in the Grapefruit League. Those efforts resulted in Jones actually making the Opening Day roster, despite no MLB service time.
In five April starts, Jones was outstanding, as he posted a 2.88 ERA.
The walk number for Jones in the first half was low, as he issued just 27 free passes in 89 innings of work, for an impressive, 2.7 BB/9.
It was in early July that Jones was put on the injured list with a right lat strain, and missed nearly two months.
When Jones returned to Pittsburgh on August 27th, he wasn’t the same effective pitcher. In his final six outings, Jones had an ERA of 5.87. While the walk figure increased at 3.6, so did the home runs, as he allowed six homers in 30.2 innings (1.8 HR/9).
Jones recorded 132 strikeouts in 121.2 innings this season, for a 9.8 K/9, which was fourth best among MLB rookie starters.
Overall, Jones registered an ERA+ right around league average at 101, along with a 1.8 WAR.
Heading into 2025, I view Jones as the Pirates’ biggest X-factor, on the pitching side. Stuff-wise, he’s certainly capable of being the pitcher he was in the first half of this year, before he got hurt, when he was throwing strikes consistently, and effectively mixing up the power four-seamer and slider.
Jones will need to prove that the second half numbers weren’t reflective of the type of starter he could still become potentially. Should Jones perform closer to what he did the first three months of 2024, if not better, then he would be that bonafide, third starter in the Pirates’ rotation behind Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller. Or who knows, at 23, Jones might be able to surpass Keller as the #2 arm on the staff.