The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have signed former University of Maryland pitcher Jason Savacool, who is returning to a starting-pitcher role after requesting his release from St. Louis.
Savacool signed with Southern Maryland on Aug. 2 after requesting and receiving his release from St. Louis on July 13. The Syracuse, New York, native began the 2026 season in relief but wanted another opportunity to develop as a starting pitcher.
Jason Savacool Built a Strong Maryland Résumé
Savacool spent three seasons at the University of Maryland and earned Second Team All-American honors in 2022. He recorded 122 strikeouts that season, the fourth-most in program history, and helped the Terrapins host their first NCAA Regional.
He also earned a spot on the 2021 Big Ten All-Freshman Team. “We had a lot of success in my three years at Maryland. We won a lot of games and hosted a regional in 2022. I had a lot of belief in the coaching staff and what they were building,” Savacool said.
St. Louis Promotion Followed 2025 Breakout
St. Louis selected Savacool in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. He spent four seasons in the Cardinals organization, reached Triple-A Memphis and spent three seasons with Single-A Palm Beach.
Savacool broke through in 2025, making 11 outings with Palm Beach and posting a league-best 1.61 ERA. He earned a Florida State League Post-Season All-Star selection and a promotion to High-A Peoria before finishing the season with a 7-4 record and a 2.99 ERA across both levels.
“It was awesome, but also a big wave of relief to finally get that call. I started out my career a little bit rocky, but I made some adjustments. When I was back in Palm Beach again, I felt I had to go out there and prove myself, basically show the organization that they made the wrong decision. Eventually, by midseason, they were able to see that I was ready for the next level.”
Blue Crabs Offer a Return to Maryland
St. Louis moved Savacool to a relief role to begin the 2026 season. He said the transition and frequent shuffling made it difficult to become comfortable in the role.
“After some good performances, they moved me to the bullpen and there wasn’t really a lot of warning. I struggled early, but then started to do a lot better towards the second half of the year. There was a lot of shuffling and I just never really felt like I got comfortable. Ultimately, I felt I was stagnant and they had gone in a different direction from the player mold I am.”
Returning to Maryland gave Savacool a connection to his college state, as well as an opportunity to reunite with family members who live in the area.
“I just kind of have had a soft spot for Maryland ever since college. Everything kind of lined up and made sense to play here. The nice part is that I have some family that lives down here, too. It’s nice to be able to connect with them and see some familiar faces. I also have a lot of good memories and I seem to play well here.”
Savacool Pursues Another Affiliated Opportunity
Savacool’s first two starts with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs ended prematurely because of weather and an injury. He later pitched four hitless innings against the Lexington Legends in an eventual Blue Crabs win.
He has also discussed his career with Blue Crabs pitcher Kyle Virbitsky. The two are road roommates and have talked about their paths from Big Ten schools to affiliated baseball and then to starting roles with Southern Maryland.
“We’re actually roommates on the road, so we’ve talked about our careers a ton. He’s told me to take advantage of the opportunity and do the best to get picked back up again in the future.”
Savacool remains focused on returning to an affiliated organization as a starting pitcher while enjoying his opportunity with the Blue Crabs.
“I’ve had a lot of challenges over the past couple of years in my career where I’ve been stifled and not been able to be at the level I thought I deserved to be. Making this change and coming to play independent baseball was really important for me to fall in love with baseball again. When you’ve been doubted and beaten down a little bit, it’s tough to remain confident in yourself, but I think that’s what I’m trying to find here.”
“I want to come back and keep having fun because I love playing baseball so much. I want to play as long as I possibly can.”
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Jason Savacool gives the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs a starting pitcher with a strong University of Maryland résumé and recent success in affiliated baseball. His 2025 season included a league-best 1.61 ERA at Palm Beach and a 2.99 ERA across two levels.
The Blue Crabs provide Savacool with a chance to rebuild his confidence in a familiar state while pursuing a return to affiliated baseball. Southern Maryland has been an Atlantic League member since 2008, and the 2026 season marks the 18th season of Blue Crabs baseball at Regency Furniture Stadium.
Source: Original report
