Jared Jones Fantasy Outlook: Is the Pittsburgh Pirates flamethrower a must-add starting pitcher moving forward?

The Pittsburgh Pirates might have an ace on their hands when it comes to Jared Jones. Although he might not be a household name, it might not be long before he cements himself as one of the true stars in the MLB. The 22-year-old rookie has been sending social media into a frenzy with his electric fastball and deceptive off-speed pitches.

Jared Jones has quickly become a fan-favorite among Pittsburgh Pirates fans thanks to his elite performances so quickly in his MLB career. So far through 5 games in his MLB career, Jones has posted a 2-2 record with a 2.79 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 29.0 innings.

"Jared Jones is the 4th pitcher since 1893 to strike out at least 7 batters in each of his first five career games." - @MLB

Not only has Jones quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young pitchers in the MLB but also in fantasy baseball. He has quickly seen his ownership percentage rise, although some of that could be related to the number of superstar pitchers placed on the injured list.

So far this season, the likes of Spencer Strider, Shane Bieber, Eury Perez, and Lucas Giolito are some of the big-name players who have been sidelined with significant injuries. So this raises the question about Jones' fantasy baseball outlook for the rest of the season.

Jared Jones needs to be rostered everywhere in fantasy baseball leagues

For some of the reasons mentioned above, fantasy baseball managers need to pick up the Pittsburgh Pirates starter if he is still available. His elite strikeout upside, as well as the fact that he has not been issuing walks, should help him in multiple categories. His ratios are certainly impressive, and although the sample size is small, the intrigue is there.

"Jared Jones just threw one of nastiest pitches you will see all season" - @MLB

Another reason why Jones should be added is the improved Pittsburgh Pirates lineup. The Pirates have not been one of the strongest teams over the past few seasons, however, they have been able to provide their pitchers with run support, which should help Jones in the wins category. The hot starts from the likes of Bryan Reynolds, Connor Joe, and Oneil Cruz have helped with the run support.

The one issue so far for Jared Jones in fantasy baseball is the fact that he has only pitched 6 or more innings in 3 of his 5 starts. This could hurt his value in leagues that count quality starts, and it could limit his innings totals by the end of the season. That being said, he is a must-add in every league.