Jackson Ferris took a significant step forward in his development as a pitching prospect during the 2024 season, which was his first with the organization.
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Ferris in January 2024 as part of a trade that sent Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs. L.A. also received Zyhir Hope, who has been a rousing success and recently was anointed the top Dodgers prospect by Baseball Prospectus.
Ferris excelled at two levels in the Dodgers’ Minor League system last year, posting a combined 3.20 ERA over 126.2 innings pitched between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa. He credited the Dodgers coaching staff for helping him after being acquired from the Cubs.
“I just feel like coaching is a big thing,” Ferris recently said. “You wouldn’t expect coaching to be too different in the Minor Leagues or big leagues with the teams, but it is a big difference. When I first got traded over to the Dodgers, just kind of critique and fine-tuning little things with my mechanics even though I was younger.
“Which the Cubs didn’t want to mess with, since I was young. Now that we got to fine-tune some of those things, it really let me take off throughout the year.”
Ferris’ large frame is accompanied by an elite, but compact arsenal.
“Last year with the Cubs, they taught me a big slider,” Ferris added. “So like a sweeping slider. [Last] year in Spring Training, the Dodgers kind of banged that and just went to this harder, bullet slider. It’s easier to control, easier to throw to righties and lefties. Whereas the sweeping slider is more for predominantly lefties only.”
Ferris is listed as Major League Baseball’s fifth-best left-handed prospect according to MLB Pipeline, ending the season as the No. 4 player in the Dodgers farm system. He posted multiple starts in Great Lakes that drew a bevy of eyes, a direct signal that he was prepared to earn a promotion to join the Drillers.
Although he is still 20 years old, Ferris is showing an advanced rate of production, but expectations should still be tempered for any belief he can rise to the MLB level in 2025. Ferris appears more likely to make his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2026.
Jackson Ferris’ best starts in 2024
Last July 6, Ferris twirled a seven inning shutout performance that included 11 strikeouts and just two hits allowed. Pitching against the West Michigan Whitecaps, he fired 71 strikes of 96 pitches overall thrown.
In his final start with the Loons on Aug. 1, Ferris completed eight hitless innings in his club’s 6-1 win over the Cedar Rapids. His no-hitter attempt fell short at 98 pitches, but all four of Ferris’ pitches were living in the strike zone.
Ferris retired 13 of the first 14 hitters faced, and although he could’ve finished the game, the team felt it was best to pull him out.
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