LAKELAND, Fla. — Finally, the matchup we've all been waiting for.
Jackson Jobe vs. Izaac Pacheco.
They were becoming close friends leading up to the 2021 draft, then the Detroit Tigers picked Jobe at No. 3 overall and Pacheco at No. 39 overall. Now that they're in the same organization, their relationship has blossomed. They are represented by the same agent, Scott Boras, and live together as roommates in a hotel suite in Lakeland.
But Jobe, a 19-year-old right-handed pitcher, and Pacheco, a 19-year-old shortstop, hadn't faced each other — at least not until Monday morning in TigerTown as part of minor-league minicamp camp.