RHP Jacob Zibin, 10th (301st) – Cleveland Guardians - Signed $1.2 Million

RHP Jacob Zibin

Hometown: Langley BC

Born: Toronto, Ont.

Bats/Throws: L-R

Height/Weight: 6’ 3” 180 lbs.

Slot Value: $151,900

Teams: Junior National Team, TNXL, Langley Blaze, Brewers Langley Blaze.

Coaches: Greg Hamilton, Brian Martinez, Jamie Bodaly and Doug Mathieson.

Invited to: MLB draft combine, Petco Park in San Diego (June 14th-20th).

MLB Combine: Interviewed by Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and eight others.

Previous Teams: Team BC, Prince George Knights, OBA champion North York Blues and Mississauga North Tigers.

Lived in: Orangeville, Ont., Prince George, BC

Rankings: 72nd on Perfect Game top 600 final rankings (July 14, 2022) ... 126th on Baseball America final projection (July 12, 2002) … No. 124 on Baseball America’s top 500 combined list (June 29) … Down from 120th on top 400 … Listed 91st on Perfect Game top 500 (June 10) …. Listed 77th on Perfect Game’s top 400 combined list of high schoolers and collegians (April 15, 2022) ... Listed 131sr on MLB Pipeline …. No. 100 on Perfect Game’s top 100 high schoolers (April 4, 2022) ... Ranked 129th on MLB Pipeline’s combined list of top 400 (May 2, 2022) ... Listed 148th on MLB Pipeline’s top 150 (April 25, 2022) ... No. 1 prospect in BC … Listed 39th on Baseball America’s top 50 prospects.

Previous Coaches: Tomio Fukumura, Steve Davis, Lino Feijo.

Committed to: South Carolina (after originally committing to Kentucky).

Good genes: His father Derek swam at the national level, played high school basketball and volleyball.

The most influential person in his baseball life: “My father introduced me to the game but it was my mother Carole Anne Zibin, and my grandmother Deana, who have been the most influential supporting me the most through my whole life.”

The most influential person in his baseball life beside my parents and grandmother: “Other than my parents, my older brother John Zibin played ball all the way through high school in Toronto, and he would always play MLB the show, and whiffle ball with me growing up. It would get super competitive and he’d end up winning every time because he was the older brother ... but that is what got me to where I am now.”

Honours: 2022 season _ Perfect Game Preseason Underclassmen All American Honorable Mention for Canada/Puerto Rico ... 2021 season _ Perfect Game Preseason Underclassmen All American First Team for Canada/Puerto Rico region ... 2020 season _ Earned an Honorable Mention on Perfect Game Underclass All American for Canada/Puerto Rico region ... 2019 season with Dbacks Langley Blaze _ All Tournament Team at World Wood Bat Freshman World championship FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Jacob Zibin, right, with LHP Jordan Woods (Oakville, Ont.) during last year’s camp at Ajax’s Pan-Am Park. Photo: Christian Bender.

2022 season _ Won National Academies Association conference MVP pitching six scoreless innings, allowing one hit, while fanning nine.

2019 season _ Worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits and four walks, while fanning nine to make all-tournament team at World Wood Bat Freshmen championship in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Scouting Reports

Perfect Game

Jacob Zibin (2022, Langley, BC) showed plenty of intrigue on the mound as he put in just under five innings of work, allowing just two hits and a single earned run while striking out nine. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander worked a solid three-pitch mix, running the fastball up to 83 mph with occasional sink to the arm side, complemented by a tight curve ball showing 11-to-5 shape and a solid change up with similar action out of the hand to the fastball and late arm-side tumble. There is easy projection from the frame and actions here, as well as some deception to the operation as he works from a far slot creating occasional cross body action. Zibin is an interesting international follow as he begins to add athleticism to the delivery and tap into some of the strength projection.

-- Tyler Russ

MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Change up: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

The Langley Blaze club team in B.C., Canada, has produced some serious talent, including big leaguers like Brett Lawrie and Tyler O’Neill. This year could provide another top draft talent in Zibin, a projectable right-hander who reclassified from 2023 to be eligible for this year’s Draft and then spent a lot of time at TXNL Academy in Florida to raise his profile.

Zibin has an intriguing combination of size (at 6-foot-3) and stuff. His fastball has been up to 95-96 mph at times this spring, sitting mostly around 93 mph. His best secondary pitch is actually his change up, thrown with good sink and good arm speed -- a pitch he’s willing to throw in any count. His breaking ball, a 77-80 mph slurvy slider, can be effective, but it’s much less consistent.

Zibin tends to be around the plate, though like with most young pitchers, he’ll need to refine his overall command. Because he reclassified, he’ll be young for his class, only 17 years old, something that will appeal to many teams who run things like age through their models. As a Canadian prepster, he can return to the high school ranks there for what amounts to 13th grade and be eligible again next year, and he’s committed to South Carolina in 2023.