Gage Jump is missing. 73 to the Board and no. 2 in our Athletics ratings. In addition, he is now a major league player. Called up from Triple-A Las Vegas in late May, the 23-year-old southpaw has since started nine games and logged a 3.51 ERA, 3.31 FIP, and 23.5% strikeout rate over 48 2/3 innings. A second-round pick in the 2024 draft out of LSU, he pitched last season and played at High-A Lansing and Double-A Midland.
His deep experience stands out almost as much as his raw materials and what our lead analyst Eric Longenhagen described back in April as “very short arm action.” Jump is serious about his art, and from his days as a prep player for San Juan Capistrano. Before joining the collegiate, he was rated as the top left fielder in the state of California.
Jump discussed his data-influenced approach to pitching when the A’s played in Detroit this past week.
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David Laurila: What have you learned about pitching – especially about yourself as a pitcher – since coming to proball?
Gage Jump: “Interesting. That’s a tough question, I can say that I was lucky enough to go to a private school, and at a young age I was taught things like Plyo balls and Rapsodo. Our head coach at JSierra [Catholic High School] out Kyle Boddy [from Driveline]. I wasn’t a big kid and I didn’t throw much, so I wanted to understand what everything meant and how the ball moved a certain way. Of course, just because I know certain things doesn’t mean I can make them happen, that’s why I think singing is so fun. You’re always trying to improve and get better, and while you don’t know the answers, it’s still very difficult to put your hand somewhere, know where your body is, and find out. [the results] you want.
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“So, the big thing for me has been knowing when I should think about those things and when I shouldn’t. In social media for a week, if I need to work on something, now I know what I have to do. But more than that, the old school idea that when my things are not where they should be in the game, I still have to control and control. That’s understanding what numbers I understand, I try to understand what I mean: but in the end I have a job to do I did it, even if everything is not where it should be.”
Laurila: Was there something about the way your stuff played that you didn’t fully understand?
Skip: “I always had a good fastball growing up, and I didn’t know why. I knew I was a short guy and maybe the height difference had something to do with it, but understanding the angles and how the ball is coming at the hitter… I want to say that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned. That, and knowing where to throw the ball, how it affects my breaking balls and my starting angles. It’s always been really important to me, too.”
Laurila: Has experience affected the way you attack hitters?
Skip: “I don’t know if anything has changed because of that. I’m still the same guy. I’m still trying to pitch the same way, just that I understand better why some of my pitches work better than others, and why it’s kind of funny. I throw funny, I’d say. What I like. I don’t want to be a stock pitcher and be different. I want to be different.”
Laurila: Can you elaborate on how that works to your advantage?
Skip: “The way the angle of the ball comes to home plate, because I’m short [6-foot] and have a short release… think of guys like Kyle Harrison or Freddy Peralta. The way they deliver the ball is very different compared to the top guys. I want to be as far from the average as possible without changing my throwing style to get off the average.
“I’ve been throwing like this, I don’t think it’s that crazy. [A’s prospect] For example, Jamie Arnold. You are very different from the norm. The way he throws the ball, his arm is like Chris Sale’s. It is very low. His fastball is really good, and although it’s not very sharp, it’s a different perspective for a batsman.”
Laurila: What are your secondary sounds that are most influenced by your environment?
skip: “It’s a mixed bag. The numbers can mean one thing and the results can be another. One thing I’ve worked on is judging how you hit the pitch. Let’s say the fastball and the curveball match up well because they’re straight pitches on the same plane, but the slider is more variable and misses. If hitters look really bad on that pitch, I’ll be looking at that pitch. I think the numbers are great, but at the end of the day, at the time of the outing, hitters can have a completely different approach. I can adapt to that middle game.
Laurila: I started by asking what you have learned since coming to proball. How about since you made your league debut earlier this season? The major leagues are obviously different than the minor leagues.
skip: “They’re different. With all the minors, you’re always trying to get to the next level. I started in High-A and it was like, ‘Okay, I want to get to Double-A.’ And then it was, ‘Okay, I want to get to Triple-A.’ Same thing with getting to the big stage. Now that I’m here, there’s no more ‘What’s next?’ There is no higher level. These are the best hitters in the world, so I learned a ton.
“The learning curve has been huge. There’s also a lot of data involved, partly because the hitters have been there. I know what to do, because there’s a better game plan from start to start. And if I’m not successful, I’m going to get hit. So, it’s a big learning curve. At the same time, it’s still the same game. I want to go against the best players. I mean I’m against the best competition.
