Q+A: Former North Central, Gonzaga pitcher Alek Jacob has the right stuff, even if it isn’t overpowering
Alek Jacob has never thrown hard.
Not at North Central High School. Not at Gonzaga University. Not in the minors and certainly not in the majors, where an average fastball velocity of 86.2 mph since his debut in 2023 ranks only behind Tyler Rogers (82.6), Adam Cimber (85.2), Adam Wainwright (85.3) and Ryan Yarbrough (85.8) as the slowest heaters in the majors.
But Jacob harnessed his ability to be different under GU associate coach Brandon Harmon and former assistant Steve Bennett. Jacob was drafted by the Padres in the 16th round in 2021 and rose quickly as a side-armer with elite extension (7.4 feet ranks eighth out of 713 pitchers with at least 400 pitches thrown since 2023) and, as Padres personnel said a number of times over the years, the – well, confidence is one way to put it – of someone who throws harder than he does.
(Editor’s note: This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.)
How many times were you told because you don’t throw hard enough that you’re not going to make it?
A: It’s hard to put a number on that. It wasn’t necessarily that I was always told that. It was more like I wasn’t getting told anything, right? Like no one was reaching out to me. No one’s showing interest. So that was a big thing, just having somebody that did believe in me as much as I believed in myself.
You must have had people around you who believed in you. Who were those people?
A: For sure. I can credit my college coaches, like Brandon Harmon. Especially him, like he gave me a chance to pitch Division I baseball and I feel like that’s really where it started to take off for me, because I had no other offers for any schools. So, just being given a chance, right? Like, get put on the roster and see what I can do and it kind of took off from there. And then obviously the Padres giving me a chance in pro ball. Like, not a lot of teams were interested in me coming out of college for a similar reason.
Was it a full ride at Gonzaga?
A: So I started out as a preferred walk-on.
Which is how much money?
A: Nothing. I was getting some academic money. So I was able to get a scholarship there that paid for a good amount, but it was nothing (from baseball) at first. Then I started as a freshman and then I got a little bit and then by the time I was a senior, I was on a full ride. So it was nice for sure.
Backing up a bit. When did you know that you didn’t throw hard enough?
A: I’d say there was a time in high school where I was training with some of my friends and in the offseason we’re doing similar workouts and we’re just seeing completely different gains. Some guys are gaining 5 mph in an offseason and I’m trying to do anything I can to get that and I can’t seem to find it. I just realized I have to find a different way. I can’t just be that high-velo fastball guy. I’m going to have to be something else.
What’s the craziest thing you tried to gain velocity?
A: I would say like trying every little mechanical arm slot thing, like anything I think of, like maybe if I throw from this arm slot or I do this, like, this is gonna make me throw harder. Just finding random videos online in high school. Maybe this is the secret. So many people claim to have this secret, right?
Your delivery now – what is the origin story of how you ended up where you’re at?
A: In high school I was over the top and I would drop down and throw side-arm a little bit, just because it was kind of a natural thing for me and it kept hitters off balance, especially in high school. Like, no one’s seeing that at that point, right? So I was at a pitching camp at Gonzaga University and the pitching coach at the time saw me drop down and throw side-arm. He said, “I’m a fan of that. Keep working on that, keep doing that.” And at that point, I never had any college coach or anybody show any interest in me. So like to hear that, It’s like, OK, someone’s interested in me. … So I started to go more and more side-arm after that. That was my sophomore year and then by my senior year I was completely a side-armer. I was like 80% over the top and two years later 100% side-arm.
How did the new slot affect your secondaries?
A: I honestly feel like my secondaries are better from the side. I had an OK change-up thing over the top that was all right, but I couldn’t really spin the ball that well. I found that my slider from slot is better now than it was over the top. I feel like it’s helped me there too.
You watched video trying to throw harder over the top. Who did you watch when you dropped to the side?
A: So I’m from Washington state. Steve Cishek was with the Mariners for a little bit. That was a guy I liked to watch. Darren O’Day. … Guys like that. There’s not a lot, right? A lot of times, too I’ll run into side-armers in pro ball or college and I try and pick their brain a lot because not a lot of people can relate to us. You find ways to help each other out.
Most people know Gonzaga for basketball. What was it like to play baseball there?
A: Obviously, we benefit a lot off of their success, which is great. We get gear and stuff, and that really helps out. I feel like it’s like, obviously, it’s a basketball school, right? And that goes first, but at the same time we had a good support system around the baseball team. And our AD really likes baseball, and he was doing everything he could, so I felt like we were still getting a lot of respect from the athletic department. I didn’t feel like it was like we were little brother too much.
What was it like when pro scouts started coming around on you?
A: I had really good numbers in college. I had a lot of success. I was like, someone’s got to give me a chance, right? Like, I threw really well against some pretty good teams. And I’m seeing all these guys going before me and I’m not hearing anything and it’s like, is it going to happen? My advisor, I guess at the time, was saying that he felt pretty confident that it was still going happen. And I think I had, like, one team reach out to me a little before the Padres, but I turned them down. Now we’re here.
What’s interesting about guys like you and knuckleballer Matt Waldron is you are the embodiment of a changeup. Have you found that to be true, especially as a reliever?
A: The first time I noticed that was in Double-A. We had a closer (Angel Felipe) who was throwing 100 mph. I would throw right before him and then this guy would come in and it almost … made his 100 look like 110. We were able to have some success that way.
You debuted in 2023 and then you had forearm issues. It took you a while to make it back to the majors. What was that like for you?
A: It’s tough. Anytime you get injured, it’s puts you in a different mental state – how can I find my way back? I wanted to try and fight back that year, and it just wasn’t recovering how I wanted it to. Then the next year I started off a little cool. I wasn’t throwing as well as I wanted to early in the season, but I just kept telling myself one day at a time. Just get 1% better, one day at a time. I feel like that’s really helped me a lot in my career, just finding the comfort in just taking it day by day and being where my feet are and just trying to get better.
You might be a guy that’s up and down from Triple-A El Paso this year as the Padres manage the bullpen. But you made the opening day roster and are part of the plan. How satisfying is that?
A: It’s awesome. It’s so much fun. This clubhouse is great. Just being part of this team and helping anyway I can is awesome.