Tyrell Jenkins the top Prospect Dealt in Jason Heyward Trade
The biggest trade of the off-season thus far is clearly Jason Heyward being traded away to the St. Louis Cardinals. A top of the order bat with solid power and good outfield defense became an unfortunate priority for the Cardinals after the tragic news of top prospect Oscar Tavares’ untimely death.
Heyward is a great fit in the Cardinals lineup, as he is an excellent defensive right fielder and can hit in any part of the lineup. Jordan Walden was also sent to the Cardinals to add to their bullpen. The Atlanta Braves acquired pitchers Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins in the deal. Miller has been up and down in the big leagues, but many feel he can be a frontline starter.
Since this is a minor league site, the player to highlight in the deal is Jenkins, who was once recruited to be the heir apparent to Robert Griffin III at Baylor, but chose to play baseball instead. He was an incredibly raw arm, as he has pitched in five minor league seasons, but has yet to advance past High-A.
Jenkins’ 2013 campaign was cut short due to shoulder trouble that required surgery. The surgery delayed his 2014 season, allowing him to throw just 74 innings, but was able to face higher level talent in the Arizona Fall League. As one of the best pitchers for the Peoria Javelinas, Jenkins put in 24.1 innings with just a 2.22 ERA in six starts, striking out 18 but walking 10.
His control is his biggest concern, as he has an odd pause at the end of his otherwise smooth delivery. He has a high leg kick almost all the way up to his chin, and the ball jumps out of his hand up to 95 mph. He also features a breaking ball and a change that still need some work.
Despite having five pro seasons under his belt, he will head into opening day still just 22-years old. The Braves look like they are in the midst of a re-building process, and adding good young arms is always a need. Jenkins could be a solid mid-rotation starter but, if the control never comes around, he could still be a quality mid-relief arm.