DEFIANCE - When Jayden Jerger began to make progress in his game he made a decision.

“I started gaining velo and I put on weight,” reflected the incoming senior at Defiance. “I was hitting 86-87 which is good for a junior, so I went to a PBR and I hit 86 there. Then I went to another PBR and sat 86-87 the whole day along with a hard curveball.”

It has the 46th-rated 2022 right-handed pitcher in the state excited about what is ahead.

“It’s motivating,” Jerger said about going to events with others that have the same goal of playing at the next level. “I may not be the biggest but I love to compete. When I see the bigger and stronger kids it just pushes me to work harder than them.”

The 6-1 180-pounder, up 25 pounds from a year ago, has made an impression.

“It’s hard to have a better spring/start to summer than Jayden is having,” related Jordan Chiero, PBR Ohio Director of Scouting. “After a dominant high school season for Defiance he was one of the top overall performers at the Top Prospect Games. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he ends up being one of those arms Defiance seems to always churn out that can run it into the 90s and flat out spin it.”

Dylan Hefflinger, PBR Northwest Ohio Scout, is another big believer in Jerger.

“I have seen Jayden throw numerous times, and each time I see him I become a bigger fan,” Hefflinger said. “The righty has three-plus pitches and is confident in throwing any of the three in any count. Not many high school pitchers can do that with one offspeed pitch, let alone both of them.

“I also see the velo continue to climb, and what makes it better is his velo maintains throughout his entire performance. The mid-to-upper-80s fastball will likely become upper-80s to lower-90s next spring. Having a good fastball complemented by two-plus offspeed pitches, no wonder he has been dominant all year long, spring and summer time.”

Ball State, Toledo, Bowling Green and Walsh are some of the schools that have shown an interest in the 34th-ranked uncommitted right-handed hurler in Ohio.

“They like my high-80s velo and, hopefully, next year I’ll be sitting in the low-90s,” Jerger noted. “There’s also my hard curveball which coach (Tom) Held preaches. A lot of guys are 68-69 but if you can have a low-70s curve, that’s hard to hit.”

Add in a changeup that has shown big improvement and it is a recipe for success at the next level.

“I’ve always wanted to play college baseball,” Jerger explained. “My dad’s been a baseball coach and while he’s been hard on me he’s really helped me. When I shot up my freshman year, I started thinking if I can just grow a little more I can do this. I’m getting there, but I’ve still got to keep improving.”

Jerger pointed to others that have been beneficial along the way.

“All my teammates have really helped,” Jerger said. “Coach Held is super demanding, but he’s just pushing you to be your best. My mom and dad have helped with taking care of my arm and so have physical therapists Ryan (Crandall) and Kevin (McCann).”

Still, being uncommitted with senior year of high school less than two months away does bring some uncertainty when it comes to the future.

“Guys make big jumps at different times,” Jerger explained. “When the velo jumps later sometimes colleges are full. I’ve just got to trust the process and, hopefully, next year I can hit a higher velo.” 

A 3.9 student taking honors classes, Jerger believes he has a lot to offer a college program.

“I bring a lot of energy,” related Jerger, who is looking at a major in either marketing or business. “I’m a people’s person. I love talking to people and I’m good at making connections with kids and relating with coaches. That can help make a program better.”

As for what lies ahead, Jerger anticipates a busy few months.

“I’ll be lifting and also throwing in the fall while doing golf,” pointed out Jerger, an all-league golfer who led Defiance to the Western Buckeye League championship as a junior. “I’ve never thrown and done golf at the same time before.”

Taking college visits is also on the agenda.

“I may take a couple at the end of summer or early fall,” Jerger noted. “The colleges I’ve talked to are great options, I’ve just got to be patient and wait for great things to come.”