Once considered one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the game, Jackson Ferris took a step back in 2025. Still dangerous on the hill with the third-most strikeouts in the Double-A Texas League, he was less effective overall due to struggles with his stuff and command.
This season, the Dodgers' No. 17 prospect made the jump to Triple-A in 2026 and the results have been decidedly mixed: a Pacific Coast League-high 106 strikeouts, but a bloated 5.51 ERA over 101 1/3 innings.
But as the season winds down, though, Ferris is looking more like his old self, the one who ranked on the Top 100 Prospects list for parts of two seasons. Thanks in part to an uptick in velocity, the southpaw struck out seven batters across six innings of one-run ball in Oklahoma City's 8-6 win over Sugar Land on Wednesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
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Ferris' latest outing capped a stretch of five games in which he held opponents to one run or fewer. Dating back to Aug. 16, he has given up just four runs across 28 1/3 innings with 35 strikeouts to just 10 walks.
Limiting free passes has been a key factor to his success lately. While his 8.9 percent walk rate over this stretch would rank 39th out of 49 qualified starters in the Majors, it's a big step forward for him. Ferris has a double-digit walk rate in all four of his pro seasons since the Cubs selected him in the second round of the 2022 Draft. (Los Angeles acquired him in January 2024 with Zyhir Hope for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte.)
The added velocity is hard to miss when watching Ferris pitch. The 22-year-old has averaged 93 mph on his two- and four-seamer this season but sat over 95 mph on both pitches Wednesday, topping out at 96.1. He's been on a literal heater lately, with his 18 fastest pitches of the season coming in his past two starts.
Not coincidentally, Ferris has picked up swings-and-misses at a 31.2 percent clip over his past five starts with renewed velocity, compared to a 25.4 percent on the season overall.
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Ferris leaned heavily on his harder slider Wednesday, throwing it 41 percent of the time at an average of 88.4 mph -- including three ripped off at 91.4 mph. The Space Cowboys whiffed on nine of their 15 swings against the pitcher and went 0-for-4 when they put it in play.
The IMG Academy product's curve was plenty effective too, with a trio of whiffs and chases on four of nine pitches outside the zone. On the season, opponents are hitting just .111 and slugging .204 against it.
Strike-throwing has been a concern for Ferris, but he lit up the zone as well. He picked up 21 called strikes and first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 22 batters he faced. Ahead in the count frequently, he didn't give up a hit until his penultimate frame.
The Triple-A regular season will conclude in 11 days, so more detailed analysis of Ferris' added velocity and improved control will have to wait until next spring, but it's been an encouraging development for a pitcher with a track record of success.