The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted JaCoby Jones as an outfielder in the third round of the 2013 draft, then surprised everyone the following year when they moved him to shortstop. Jones is athletic, and had played the position in high school, but played mostly center field and second base with LSU in college. The Pirates had plenty of outfield depth, and needed shortstop help in the system, so they moved him back to the position.
The reports we received on Jones last year were mixed. Some said he could eventually stick at shortstop, while others felt he’d eventually move over to second base, where his bat would still play. The offensive numbers were impressive last year, although they came with the downside of a 29.7% strikeout rate, which isn’t what you want to see from a college hitter in low-A.
Jones will move up to Bradenton this year, and might get a shot at Altoona by mid-season if his bat continues performing. The jump to Double-A will be a bigger test for his hitting, especially for his strikeout issues. I talked in the video below with Jones and with Pirates’ farm director Larry Broadway about the move to shortstop last year, and what he can do to reduce the strikeout issues in the future.
