South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 83: Trey Jeans

Feb 3, 2023 - 8:01 PM

Trey Jeans

Left-Handed Relief Pitcher
5´10´´
190 pounds
Age: 27
2020 SSHP Top Prospect ranking 97
2021 SSS Top Prospect ranking 96
2022 SSS Top Prospect Ranking N/R
2022 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Age relative to high level +1.6 years
SSS rank among all left-handed relief pitchers in the system 7
Overall 2022 stats 3-2 ⚾️ 33 games (1 start) ⚾️ 41 innings ⚾️ 4.17 ERA ⚾️ 1.537 WHIP ⚾️ 54 K ⚾️ 28 BB

Trey Jeans was a well-traveled collegian, as he attended the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Seminole State College and the University of Louisiana-Monroe. He posted his best season with Louisiana-Monroe in 2019 as a senior, compiling a 3.76 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 15 starts. In his 79 innings for the Warhawks, Jeans surrendered 61 hits (.213 OBA) and 37 walks (11.0%) while striking out 69 (20.5%). As a result of his efforts, they White Sox tried on Jeans in the 33rd round in 2019.

Jeans sailed through the AZL season in 18 relief outings, and pitched his final three games of 2019 for Great Falls. In a total of 27 ⅔ combined innings, he allowed 28 hits (.252 OBA) and just five walks (4.2%) while fanning an eye-popping 43 (36.4%). Righties (.253) and lefties (.250) hit Jeans at about the same rate.

After a year lost to the pandemic, Jeans repeated his 2019 pattern, playing most of the season for Low-A Kannapolis and getting a cup of coffee in High-A Winston-Salem — but to much less fanfare (a combined 6.05 ERA 1.636 WHIP). Jeans was much wilder in A-ball, and while “much wilder” still falls well in line with most relievers, Jeans is not overpowering enough to have his control desert him.

In 2022, Jeans again bridged affiliates, this time splitting his season pretty evenly between Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. With the Dash, Jeans was divine, pitching to a 2.49 ERA and better WHIP. Upon promotion to the Barons, however, Jeans lost his control, with 18 walks against 20 Ks.

Jeans’ Baseball Cube player ratings
Durability 86
Strikeouts 81
K/BB 56
Hittable 52
vs. Power 52
Walks 42
Team Winning Percentage .407

Jeans offers a three-pitch repertoire including a fastball, curveball (his plus pitch) and changeup. Jeans is certain to begin 2023 with Birmingham, hopefully duplicating his “repeat the grade” success he had in 2022 in W-S. However, as Jeans has been consistently older than league average in his career, time is ticking on getting him up to Charlotte this summer, and eventually getting some sort of role (he can pitch longer outings, averaging more than four outs per outing in his career) in the South Side pen.

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2023 South Side Sox Top 104 White Sox Prospects

83. Trey Jeans, LHRP
84. Jerry Burke, RHSP
85. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
86. Mason Adams, RHSP
87. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
88. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
89. Laz Rivera, 3B
90. Xavier Fernández, C
91. Álvaro Agüero, CF
92. Ben Norman, RF
93. Erick Bello, RHRP
94. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
95. Arnold Prado, RF
96. Alsander Womack, 2B
97. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
98. Evan Skoug, C
99. Noah Owen, RHSP
100. Javier Mora, 2B
101. Will Kincanon, RHRP
102. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
103. Billy Seidl, RHRP
104. José Rodulfo, RHRP