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Lauren analyzes top fantasy baseball prospects risers, fallers, sleepers and busts for 2025. Her MLB rookies report for Week 6 and recently promoted prospects.
Welcome back to another edition of Rotoballer's rookie report on prospect risers and fallers. This week, we'll look at three different top prospects that were promoted recently or still have their rookie status intact for the 2025 campaign.
Last week, we examined Roki Sasaki, Kristian Campbell, and Chase Dollander. They have all experienced the growing pains of their first month in the majors, but have also shown flashes of greatness.
Jackson Jobe, Rhett Lowder, and Nick Kurtz were all first-round draft picks. Two of them are Wake Forest alums. One of them is currently on the injured list. Let's dive into their player profiles and what the future may hold for them with their respective clubs.
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Jackson Jobe, SP, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers made the postseason last year following a very unique pitching formula, with eventual American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal leading the starting rotation, followed by a bunch of guys, like Will Vest, Jason Foley, and Tyler Holton, in the bullpen. A.J. Hinch managed the pitching beautifully, leading them to a stunning upset of the Houston Astros in the playoffs. However, they don't appear to be employing the same strategy this season, yet it's still working for them.
Track Record:
Jobe was the Tigers' third overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft. Despite a 6.00 ERA in just two games at the Triple-A level, he made his major league debut in late September 2024. This was likely due to Jobe's overall track record in the minors, where he had a 2.97 ERA in 58 starts, striking out 261 batters in 233 innings of work.
However, Jobe appeared out of the bullpen upon his MLB debut, tossing four IP, striking out two, walking one, and allowing one hit in two games. Jobe miraculously made Detroit's postseason roster, but in 1.2 IP, he posted a 16.20 ERA, allowing three runs on five hits. It was evident that the 22-year-old wasn't yet ready for high-stakes postseason action.
Outlook:
This season, Jobe was moved to the Tigers' rotation. The right-hander is still getting his feet wet, and his 3.38 ERA in five starts is a bit deceiving. He's struggled with his command, walking 14 batters, and hitters seem to be hitting him hard. He also has just 18 Ks and doesn't generate many swings and misses. That said, he has a 47.1 ground ball percentage, which is better than the MLB average of 41.9. Jobe's 4.95 FIP suggests that his defense has helped in that pursuit, and aided him in holding batters to a .212 average.
It hasn't been a stellar performance, but the fact that Jobe can still produce respectable numbers while not at his best is promising. He must further develop his pitches at the big league level, including a curveball, which he introduced this season. Once he starts effectively using his full arsenal, including a fastball that touches 99–100 mph, he should be able to strike out hitters at a rate comparable to what he achieved in the minors.
Jackson Jobe, 99mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/NRUB6JeXkM
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 30, 2025
Rhett Lowder, SP, Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds have dealt with a lot of change to their rotation in recent seasons. Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have proved effective, but each starting staff member has endured injuries. The offense has had its highs and lows, too, but any team hoping to contend won't get far without a solid starting rotation. Luckily, the Reds had right-hander Rhett Lowder waiting in the wings, after drafting him seventh overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest.
Track Record:
Lowder began his minor league career in High-A, but quickly graduated to Double-A after tossing 25.1 frames to a 2.49 ERA in five starts. He made 16 starts at Chattanooga, striking out 77 batters in 77.1 IP, with a 4.31 ERA. Lowder was then promoted to Triple-A after fanning eight batters in a complete game on Aug. 15, 2024.
His MLB debut came 15 days later on Aug. 30 against the Milwaukee Brewers following one start in Triple-A. Lowder remained with the big league club until the end of the season, starting six games, striking out 22, and walking 14 in 30.2 IP. The 23-year-old possessed a 1.17 ERA and 1.27 WHIP during his brief stint in the majors, leaving the Reds hopeful they had finally had a key rotation piece for 2025 and beyond.
Rhett Lowder with 6.1 SHUTOUT innings in start #2.
QS / 6.1 IP / 4 H / 0 ER / 4 BB / 3 K
0.87 ERA (1 ER) through 10.1 IP 🔥
(🎥: @PitchingNinja)
— Wake Forest Baseball Analytics (@Wake_Analytics) September 5, 2024
Outlook:
Unfortunately, Lowder has yet to make his 2025 debut due to a right elbow injury discovered in spring training. The good news is that it doesn't appear the righty will need Tommy John surgery, as he threw a bullpen session at the end of April. If all continues to go well, Lowder could soon begin a rehab assignment and find his way back to the bigs.
However, he may have to fight for a rotation spot as the Reds seem content with Greene, Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Brady Singer, and Andrew Abbott for the time being. Plus, Lowder could return to Triple-A and get some more work in, particularly on his BB:K, which left much to be desired last season in a small sample size.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Since moving to Sacramento, the Athletics have felt...different. They had a fairly active offseason, signing pitcher Luis Severino to a franchise record-setting deal, and have some exciting, young bats in their lineup. The A's continued their youth movement with the promotion of Kurtz toward the end of April.
Track Record:
Like Lowder, Kurtz was also drafted out of Wake Forest and was the fourth overall choice in 2024. At just 22, Kurtz's call-up came after just 32 games in his minor league career. He appeared in a combined 12 games between Low-A and Double-A in 2024 and began 2025 at Triple-A.
In 20 games there, Kurtz slashed .321/.385/.655 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. That was enough for the Athletics, and Kurtz made his MLB debut on April 23 vs. the Texas Rangers, collecting his first career hit and RBI.
"Nick Kurtz, welcome to Major League Baseball!"
The @Athletics top prospect gets his first hit and RBI in his first MLB at-bat. pic.twitter.com/zidF3WlBnD
— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2025
Outlook:
It's been a bit of a struggle for Kurtz since, but he's only eight games into his big league career. He's produced a respectable .259 batting average and added three RBI, but hasn't hit for extra bases and has struck out 14 times in 28 plate appearances.
That said, he's hit a few balls hard, including his first-career RBI single that left the bat at 112.2 mph and another at 109.7. It's only a matter of time before Kurtz begins barreling the baseball.
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