11/23/22

UPDATED RESEARCH - 2023 Draft Prospect - SS - Mitch Jebb



 Mitch Jebb 

SS              Michigan State 

2022 MSU stat line - 54-G, 219-AB, .356, 6-HR, 20-28-SB 

 

11-19-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: an early look at the Big Ten

http://dugoutedgebaseball.blogspot.com/2022/11/2023-mlb-draft-early-look-at-big-ten.html?m=1&s=03 

2. SS Mitch Jebb, Michigan State.

Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'1", 185 lbs. Born 5/13/2002. Hometown: Saginaw, MI.

2022: 6 HR, .356/.448/.511, 20 SB, 16/38 K/BB in 54 games.

Now this, this is a fun profile. After not making much impact as a freshman, he broke out with a huge 2022 in which he had more stolen bases (20) than strikeouts (16), certainly not something we see often these days. He followed that up with a fantastic run through the Cape Cod League, matching Matt Shaw almost step for step by slashing .337/.411/.459 with another 27 stolen bases in 44 games, though his 30 strikeouts were just above that. 

Prospects Live hit the nail on the head when they described Jebb as a "Japanese-style slap hitter," because the resemblance between Jebb's game and his East Asian counterparts is uncanny. The central Michigan native is a very slim guy at 6'1", working from a crouched setup in which he slowly rocks back and then forwards before flinging the barrel at the ball with an exaggerated finish. 

The result is exceptional bat control that led to his elite 6.1% strikeout rate at Michigan State last year, followed by a still very solid 15.2% on the Cape. He finds holes, hits good pitching, and sprays the ball around the field with the best of them, then uses his plus speed to make the most of his balls in play. 

He will never be a home run threat, though he can swipe one out to the pull side if you're not careful, again due to his elite ability to find the barrel. Defensively, he may be a bit stretched at shortstop, but he could fit well at second base and has a high floor as a utility infielder that gets on base. 

Jebb is also on the younger side for the class, only turning 21 two months before the draft, giving him a little extra time to fill out and possibly find more of a power stroke.


11-10-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: Gut Feel Guys 

https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=21408&s=03  

Mitch Jebb, SS, Michigan State

Current Draft Board Rank: 58

Jebb has been a personal favorite since his prep days, where he continually flashed high-level speed, contact, and overall athletic traits. He’s done a good job of honing those raw tools at MSU, and has become one of the better pitch selectors of the class, with a knack for not swinging at balls and rarely striking out. 

His athleticism fits in the middle of the diamond somewhere even if it’s not at short, and he’s a terror on the base paths. The contact skills, willingness to walk and that twitch/speed all profile as a guy who will go higher than this ranking if he continues to add some pop this spring. 

 

10-19-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects-fx4td?s=03 - 

73 SS

Mitch Jebb

Michigan State

Jebb offers a top of the lineup profile paired with long term sticking power in the middle infield or centerfield. Hit-over-power approach at the plate with lightning quick hands and ability to manipulate the barrel through the zone. Jebb has sneaky plus speed and high-level baserunning that allows him to consistently take an extra base, and could be a future double digit steals type at the next level. 

Of note, Jebb has one of the more peculiar setups at the dish, a Japanese-style slap hitter operation that generates far more juice that you'd expect from the Spartan. If he ends up in the outfield, some believe his profile will perform like a Nori Aoki type.

2 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Mitch Jebb another Jeff McNeil?

Mack Ade said...

Sure sounds like it
Plus he steals.