Gage
Jump

LHP Gage Jump (JSerra HS, CA) came on in relief, tossing 1.1 innings and allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three. A 5-foot-11, 175-pound UCLA recruit, he was 92-94 and spun a good curveball at 72-75. It had depth and 1/7 break for the most part, but he did show one or two with a little more lateral break.

Left-handed pitcher Gage Jump started Game 1 for JSerra and while it wasn’t a flawless outing from a command/execution standpoint, it was an effective outing for the junior southpaw. Working 86-88 mph with the fastball, Jump was able to keep hitters off balance with his big breaking ball that he commanded very well. Jump does a great job of mixing pitches/locations and that held true on Saturday where he rarely threw the same pitch consecutively and varied his delivery. The UCLA commit is the bona-fide ace of the staff and provides some pop at the plate for the Lions.

Uncommitted. Getting the start for Pacific Baseball Academy in Game 2, Jump brought his electric arm and arsenal to the bump under the lights in the stadium at Great Park. Listed at 5-foot-11, 175-pounds with more compact, developing strength throughout, his fastball exploded out of the hand at 87-89 with a short arm stroke allowing it to jump on hitters at the plate with some arm side life. Though his fastball featured more control than command on this night, he was able to get swings and misses with the pitch in all counts against a quality lineup. Remaining linear down the mound with a high ¾ slot, Jump utilizes normal effort out front with impressive quickness to the arm. Even more so than his fastball, his ability to spin and manipulate the shape of an above average breaking ball stood out. At 71-75, he mixed a tightly spun, multi-tier 1/7 curveball early on in counts and to left-handed hitters, and exhibited the ability to bury more of a sharp slider at the back leg of right-handed hitters. The slider-type pitch showcased shorter, late-breaking action, and both pitches have the potential to become true swing-and-miss offerings in the future. His poise and pitchability stood out on over the course of his outing, and he was able to create his own outs leaving runners in scoring position.

Gage Jump has made significant strides both physically and on the mound where his velocity and command of three pitches showed marked improvements. He's shown improvements in his understanding of pitching as well where last year he would try and challenge hitters down-and-in he's now moving the ball around the entire zone. Working 84-86 and touching 87 with the fastball, he generates significant downhill plane from a high 3/4 slot using a dip-and-drive delivery. He's also elevating the fastball for strikes, usually after dropping his two-plane downer breaking curveball in for strikes. The curveball is sharp with late action. Jump also shows improved feel for the changeup that has some late fading action down in the zone. His frame shows significant added strength, particularly in the lower half where his legs are thicker while not affecting the looseness of his hips.