Unfazed demeanor allows Jones to thrive in pressure situations

Jared Jones' evolution into a high-quality major-league pitcher seems to have as much to do with his attitude on the mound as it does the triple digits he consistently reaches on the radar gun. 

Through his first few starts at the big-league level, Jones has been known for his fastball that touches 100-plus mph and averages around 97. But what might make him stand out even more in comparison to other 22-year-olds looking to establish themselves within a major-league roster is his ability to stay composed and remain unfazed when situations leave less room for error.

"It's the mentality I have," Jones said. "We preach knowing your identity, and sticking to my identity is key for me. As soon as I get away from it, I feel like that's when things go bad. Sticking with that identity that I do have, it's key." 

Jones' ability to stick to his identity was put to the test in the sixth inning against the Brewers Monday night. With the bases loaded and two away in a 1-1 ballgame, Derek Shelton didn't elect to remove Jones -- sitting at just under 90 pitches at the time -- in favor of another arm. Instead, he gave him an opportunity to showcase his stoic demeanor in the midst of a pressure situation. 

Jones, who had previously surrendered a two-out double to Jake Bauers as well as a six-pitch walk to Rhys Hoskins, took full advantage of the chance to get out of his own jam. He induced a 1-1 comebacker off the bat of Blake Perkins and tossed it over to Rowdy Tellez at first to keep the Brewers from taking the lead and to finish off another quality start in what became a 4-2 victory that snapped a six-game losing streak. 

“There was no waver there," Shelton said. "There will be times where maybe he doesn’t get that guy, but tonight, the way he looked, the way his stuff was, felt really confident in where he was at.”

The opportunity to stay on and finish the job wasn't lost on Jones, who allowed one run on four hits in six strong innings.

"I know they trust me. That's essentially what that was, their trust in me," Jones said. "I'm glad I could deliver for them." 

Jones' six-inning, 91-pitch outing came less than a week after being lifted at 59 pitches and five scoreless innings against the Mets. This time around, he didn't have the same command that allowed him to throw 85% of his pitches for strikes last week in New York. He walked two batters for the first time since his debut in Miami late last month and had to bounce back from a solo home run allowed to Hoskins in the top of the fifth inning. Still, when things weren't working in his favor, Jones never wavered.

"I think this is the first time going back to the first start that we’ve seen him, I’m going to use the word ‘struggle’ very lightly. He didn’t have his sharpest command at times. Then he was able to battle through it," Shelton said of Jones, who retired the first eight batters he faced and set down the opposition in order three times. "I think that’s a testament to the kid. Sixth inning, bases loaded and to get Perkins out there, that’s a growth moment because he’s legitimately had four games without a lot of stress. There’s no bigger stress than bases loaded there.”

Five starts into his major-league career, Jones continues to deliver, whether it be in pressure situations or counts in which strikeouts are bound to be a part of the final result. Jones posted seven more strikeouts against the Brewers' lineup, becoming just the fourth player in major-league history to begin his career with seven-plus strikeouts in each of his first five starts. He joined former Pirate Jose DeLeon, as well as Stephen Strasburg and Masahiro Tanaka on that list. 

Against the Brewers, Jones relied on a 56% usage of his fastball, as well as a 36% reliance on the slider, to overpower and keep hitters off balance. He induced 25 swing-and-misses, matching the most by a Pirates pitcher in a single game since pitch data started being tracked in 2008. He now has 98 whiffs in his first five career games, a mark that's 14 more than the previous-best of 84 set by Tanaka in 2014. 

"I don’t really know his personality that much yet, but he’s confident," said Andrew McCutchen, who helped provide run support for Jones by belting a leadoff home run in the first inning. "He’s a pretty quiet guy. When he’s out there on the mound, he’s confident in his stuff. You can see that. He believes and trusts in his stuff. He’s not afraid to throw his fastball, obviously. He goes out there and he competes. It does make him special. No one or nothing scares him. At least that’s the way I see it. Has a good poker face. It’s something you need in this game."

Henry Davis knows Jones well, having caught for him during their time in the minor leagues and now having caught all five of his regular-season starts. He knows what has allowed him to continuously mow down hitters en route to posting a whopping 39 strikeouts compared to four walks in 29 innings. 

"The stuff helps, for sure," Davis said. 

But what about his attitude has allowed him to succeed at this level? For Davis, the confidence is what stands out. 

"He really trusts what he does," Davis said. "He's answered a lot of questions so far and he's gonna continue to improve and get better. Excited to watch."