Antoine Jean now has 99K in 57IP this year. The graduate senior has been one of the nations best relievers, and could fast track to MLB according to a scout. “He could help big league bullpens today”
Canadian left-hander Antoine Jean makes history with Big 12 Pitcher of the Year award
Photo credit: Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times via Imagn Content Services, LLC
May 23, 2025, 08:00 EDTUpdated: May 22, 2025, 23:27 EDT
Houston Cougars pitcher Antoine Jean won the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year award earlier this week, making him the first relief pitcher to take home the hardware within the conference, as well as the first Canadian-born player to earn the prestigious honour.
The six-foot-two left-hander authored a 2.43 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across 20 appearances while punching out a whopping 104 batters across 63 innings. Jean would typically throw bulk innings out of the bullpen, with his 6 2/3 inning relief appearance against Kansas State being his longest of the year.
The former Canada Junior National Team member used an improved pitch mix that includes a low 90’s fastball, changeup and slider to reach career high strikeout numbers. He led the league in K/9 (14.86), H/9 (5.14), K:BB (5.20), and WHIP. He becomes the second Cougar reliever in the program’s history to strike out more than 100 batters in a single season.
The Montreal native spent his first three years at the University of Alabama, performing well in limited outings en route to a 3.51 ERA across 22 appearances. After missing the 2023 season due to injury, he transferred to Houston, where he became one of the team’s most relied-upon starting pitchers. In 2024, he engineered a 5.97 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 14 appearances, struggling with walks and the long ball, which led to his move to the bullpen. From 2021-2023, Jean also showcased his talents in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Falmouth Commodores.
The 23-year-old was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 17th round out of high school back in 2019, but elected to go to post-secondary instead. Now wrapping up his fifth and final year of college eligibility, Jean would figure to have a great chance to hear his name called in the MLB Draft, set for July 13th. Aside from the obvious link to the Blue Jays, the Twins as well as the Atlanta Braves have both been teams that have been aggressive in pursuing Canadian talent in recent years.
Jean will look to follow in the footsteps of other winners of this award who went on to pitch in the big leagues, including current Blue Jays pitchers Max Scherzer (Missouri) and Alek Manoah (West Virginia), who took home the award in 2005 and 2019, respectively. Yesterday, it was also announced that Jean was a semifinalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award through the College Baseball Foundation.