2022 Mets Draft profile: Jackson Jaha

Jackson Jaha is the son of John Jaha, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round of the 1984 MLB Draft out of Douglas High School in Portland and had a solid ten-year career in the big leagues from 1992 to 2001 with the Brewers and Oakland A’s. Jackson is the spitting image of his father, put on a lot of muscle and weight during his time in high school and resembles him physically, and now is hoping to follow in his footsteps as a baseball player.

The 6’2”, 205-pound Jaha has a tremendous bat for someone his age. He stands square at the plate, holding his hands high, and has a smooth swing intentionally modeled to be reminiscent of his father’s. During showcase games around the country, he registered exit velocities as high as 103 MPH. He sprays the ball to all fields with authority and opposite field power comes naturally to him.

He isn’t exactly a one-dimensional player with no defensive value, but he is a fringy defender in the infield and in the outfield. He is athletically built but possesses below-average-to-fringe foot speed, impacting his range in the outfield, his range in the infield, and his reaction times in the infield. He does have a strong and accurate arm, however, an attribute that would serve him well in either position.

In addition to third base and the outfield, Jaha has dabbled with pitching, though his future is as a position player and not on the mound. His fastball sits in the high-80s-to-low-90s and he complements the pitch with a mid-70s curveball and high-70s changeup.

Jaha has a commitment to the University of Oregon, which he describes as his dream school thanks to its strong baseball and football programs and its location close to his Happy Valley home.