Saints are one of the NFL's youngest teams after 2026 draft
After the 2026 draft, the Saints are now one of the NFL's youngest teams.
The Tampa Bay Rays acquired pitcher Jesse Scholtens in August 2025, and he has maintained a solid performance with a 3.77 ERA in 31 innings. With injuries affecting the pitching staff, Scholtens may take on a starting role this summer.
All Scholtens has done with the Rays is throw strikes. His 65.4 strike rate since 2025 ranks in the 78th percentile in the majors (min 500 pitches thrown). He strikes all five pitches in his arsenal at least 50% of the time, and even gets a pair of his secondaries above 60% in his cut-slider and offspeed pitch. The data here suggests above-average control. Scholtens isn’t just a thrower; he does a good job of commanding his pitches too. He pitches in the zone without catching the heart of the plate better than 73% of major leaguers since 2025. His location consistency data and heatmaps further support his above-average command. Scholtens has a solid three-pitch mix that allows him to adequately vary his sequencing to each side of the plate:
Jesse Scholtens has a 3.77 ERA since joining the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays claimed Jesse Scholtens after he was designated for assignment by the White Sox in August 2025.
Jesse Scholtens is known for his above-average control and command, with a strike rate in the 78th percentile and a solid three-pitch mix.
Due to injuries impacting the pitching staff, the Rays may rely on Scholtens in a starting role.
After the 2026 draft, the Saints are now one of the NFL's youngest teams.
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Although Scholtens doesn’t overwhelm hitters with raw stuff, he succeeds through control and command, sequencing, and a subtle pitch design advantage that helps his outlier offering play up. That’s a valuable profile to have on the 40-man — especially for a team that’s navigating multiple injuries to the starting rotation — and with Matz sidelined at least two starts, he should get a significant opportunity in the month of May to show if he can hold his own.