The Boston Red Sox have plenty of prospects that the following season could be good too. Just exactly who will make it their year in 2019 though?
The Boston Red Sox drafted pitcher Kris Jackson in the 22nd round of the MLB amateur draft last year. Therefore, you’re forgiven if you didn’t pay much attention to him last season.
However, after the numbers he put up in his short time in the minors in 2018, you don’t have any excuse to overlook the 22-year-old in 2019.
Last season, Jackson threw 26 1/3 innings in 19 appearances between Rookie Ball (seven innings) and Short-A (19 1/3 innings). In that time, he allowed two earned runs. For those doing the math, that’s a 0.68 ERA.
The right-handed pitcher struck out 29 batters while walking five in that time, going 5-for-5 on save opportunities. Basically, it’s really hard to complain about anything he did last season.
So why will 2019 by his year?
Jackson isn’t the typical pitcher frame, standing at 5’11”. He also didn’t come out of college labeled as much of a strikeout pitcher.
Don’t let any of that fool you though. He showed last season that neither label matters. Still, you probably shouldn’t expect him to strikeout batters at such a high rate for his entire career.
What you can expect is a lot of weak contact. Jackson doesn’t throw the ball very hard (tops out in the low-90s). He has a slider with fantastic break and a changeup, neither of which are easy to barrel up.
He’s also shown very good control, which will help him keep his walk rate down.
Jackson should start the year in Full-A but will probably start in Short-A. The problem with him starting in Short-A is that the season doesn’t start until June 14. That’s taking away a lot of valuable game action. Especially considering Jackson showed enough last season to earn the chance at starting in a higher level.
That being said, no matter where he starts he’s in a good position.
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What’s the biggest weakness of the Red Sox right now? Their bullpen. Due to that, eyes will be on their minor league system to see who’s pitching well. No, Jackson won’t make it to the Majors this year. He could take advantage of the extra eyes though.
The Corban College product was also used as a closer on five occasions last season (converting all five chances). Outside of Durbin Feltman, there aren’t many potential future closers in the Red Sox minor league system (Algenis Martinez maybe). If Boston continues to use him as a closer (or at least in high-leverage situations), that will only help his cause.
Jackson might start in Short-A, but he won’t finish the season there. A move to Full-A should be swift, and Advanced-A (and even Double-A) definitely aren’t out of the question as possibilities for him this season.
Jackson isn’t very high in the pecking order when it comes to who Boston Red Sox fans are paying attention to in the minors. That can change very quickly if he continues to dominate like he did last season. If that happens, 2019 will most certainly be the year of Kris Jackson.