LA Angels 2017 Offseason Prospect Countdown: #22 Jake Jewell

The LA Angels were constantly scrambling for pitchers throughout the 2017 season. While it seems like their core guys will be healthy heading into 2018, right-handed pitching prospect Jake Jewell may have to step in. And he may just excel.

The LA Angels saw nearly every starting pitcher miss extended time because of injury last season. This led to the likes of Troy Scribner, David Wright, and Bud Norris starting games for the Halos. However, if the injury bugs strike again in 2018, they may want to take a chance on Jake Jewell.

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Jewell was drafted in 2014 out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. He pitched almost exclusively as a relief pitcher, but the Halos have adjusted his game to give him starting ability. After dominating his way to a 3.59 ERA in his first 12 starts, Jewell struggled in 2015 and 2016 with a 4.77 and 6.31 ERA, respectively.

Jewell’s biggest cause for concern was the ineffectiveness of his change-up. After having arguably the best change-up in the Angels’ organization, he lost his control of it the past couple seasons. While the California League is well-known as a place where pitching prospects go to die, Jewell did what he could to learn from the experience.

After the rough patch in 2016, Jewell started in Single-A Advanced in 2017. The California League was no match for Jewell this time around, as he dominated through three starts, and his 2.25 ERA warranted another call-up to Double-A. While he didn’t put up legendary numbers, he did show a lot of improvement with a 4.84 ERA. The big difference was his command of the strike zone, as he dropped his walks per nine innings from 4.3 in 2016 to 3.0 this past season.

He is more than likely going to debut in 2019, but if the Angels get hit hard by injuries, Jewell may be called upon. When he has control of his change-up, Jewell has three above-average pitches alongside his slider and sinking fastball. If called upon this season, Jewell could be a valuable player for the Halos.

Next: Halos Looking at Veteran First Baseman at Winter Meetings

LA Angels Comparison: Matt Shoemaker

The LA Angels have a very solid starting pitcher in Matt Shoemaker when he is healthy. Much like Shoemaker, Jewell is at his best when he is attacking the strike zone. Both have good breaking balls and above-average fastballs, but have also shown inconsistency. If the Halos can get four or five years of starting pitching from Jewell, they should be ecstatic. Whether that begins in 2018 or 2019, the Angels and their fans will be getting a solid starter out of Jake Jewell.