Arizona Diamondbacks 2024 Player Review: Joe Jacques

This article is part of a series chronicling the individual seasons of players that appeared for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.

Reviews for players that still have rookie eligibility for 2025 will appear in our prospect season reviews. Players are presented in the reverse order of their aWAR, an average of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs WAR.

LHP Joe Jacques

2024 Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration, $740,000 dollars, prorated to $77,599 for time on MLB roster

Joe Jacques is a 29-year-old reliever who was drafted by the Pirates in 2018. The lefty sidewinder was drafted in the 33rd round and only made his debut in 2023 with the Boston Red Sox.

In 2024, he pitched in only one game for Boston before being placed on waivers. The Diamondbacks claimed him and sent him to AAA Reno, where Jacques would spend the majority of the year.

With the Reno Aces, Jacques pitched 37.2 innings to a 4.30 ERA. There he featured a 7.88 K/9 with a 3.58 BB/9, and most importantly a 0.00 HR/9.

This steller number is part of what makes Jacques so appealing. He keeps the ball in the ballpark, due to his pitch mix and incredibly deceptive arm angle. The lefty's release point comes from a 10-degree arm angle, which paired with a 64% sinker usage is excellent for ground balls at 52.7%.

This didn't carry over into his only outing with the Diamondbacks' big league club.

Jacques pitched in one game against the Padres on July 5th, where he was added to the MLB roster. There he pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three hits, and a walk, and giving up two runs. Most shockingly, he allowed a Home Run, the first Jacques had allowed at any level since 2023 with the Red Sox.

This went on to be Jacques' only appearance with the Arizona Diamondbacks' big league club in 2024. His year ended with a 9.00 ERA between two teams, with 3 IP and 3 ER.

What was ultimately a disappointing stint for the lefty reliever, still provided the Diamondbacks with some organizational depth. Luckily Jacques was not forced to be called upon regularly, but the role he served was still an important one, particularly with the devastating amount of injuries the club sustained in 2024.

2025 Outlook

2025 Contract Status: Pre-arbitration, $760K league minimum if on MLB roster

Jacques seems likely to return to the Diamondbacks organization as a depth reliever. Even with his struggles across multiple levels in 2024, the lefty could serve a viable role with the club in 2025.

There remains some potential in his kit as a pitcher, particularly in his ability to limit home runs and induce ground balls. The Diamondbacks will be making changes to their pitching coaching staff over the offseason, and Jacques, along with many other arms, will be interesting names to watch with a new set of eyes overseeing the group starting next spring.