Now batting .299. Coach put him at leadoff so he could get more at bats I'm assuming, he's typically down in the lineup.
Mangum, 3-5 Batting Lead Off
- Thread starter HotMop
- Start date
Only a three games left but going 2-5 in his next 5 at bats would get to .300
Something to root for this weekend. There aren't many .300 hitters in MLB anymore. I'd like to see him have a good weekend and finish his rookie season above .300.
He’ll almost certainly be with the Rays. They are set up to make both him and Simpson cornerstone pieces in their outfield for at least the next 3 years. Given the makeup of their franchise, it’s doubtful that they trade either one, because they both fit exactly with what they want to do. Dirt cheap, productive in the lineup, elite defensively and can steal bases. Very high bang for the buck.
And no, Jake won’t get a larger contract for awhile. He has 2 more years of pre-arbitration, then a couple of arbitration years where he’ll get a small raise but not much of one. MLB is horrible with how long they control first contracts once a player is promoted.
I don't have the inclination to try to understand why the pay structure is what it is in MLB. But it seems obvious that the huge contracts players who have solid early years earn rarely make sense for the production that player has while making obscene money later. Pujols leaps to mind.
ESPN stats - SEVEN players total in MLB hitting .300 today that have enough official at bats (500ish) to qualify for a batting title. Jake is hitting .299 with 413 official at bats. He is pretty elite company with that batting average.
MLB minimum is $760K this year & increases to $780K in 2026.
Mangum and Simpson were both Rays Rookie of the Year. Mangum also won the Hustle and Heart award for the Rays. The Rays like him and I expect he is here for a while. He can play every outfield spot and is one of their top hitters when it comes to RISP and average. I think he is also 2nd in steals.
MLB has great benefits and fully paid contracts. The biggest issue is getting through that first deal and Arbitration. After that it seems like they get paid well. Good retirement and benefits.
He's Top 15 or so in steals in the AL with only about 2/3 of a full season.
OT, but if you're kind of a casual MLB fan like me, it might be shocking to see just how good of a hitter Aaron Judge is. It's kinda insane that he's going to easily win a batting title while also posting an OPS north of 1.100
Caballero had a bunch of steals but got traded mid year. Do think he’s second behind Simpson. Cash also loves matchups, so having Jake as a switch hitter is nice. He’s a much better defender than Simpson, but Simpson is new to the outfield and will get better
Those two with a solid third could make for a top notch defensive outfield for a few years.
The Rays sale has been approved, he won't get a new contract but we don't know if the new management group keeps him or does a major trade for a bunch of different players.
The Rays are hoping to trade Mangum, so they need him to finish strong to get some value for him.
If Kevin Cash is still there, they’ll keep him for sure. New ownership isn’t going to pull them into another financial tier. They are still going to have to play moneyball and cash in on cheap production wherever they can.
The Rays biggest issues this year were pitching rotation depth, injuries, and a Top 5 of all time awful free agency signing. None of those problems were Mangum. They’ve already addressed the 3rd problem, the 2nd problem is out of their control, and the $15-$16 million they recoup from putting Kim out to pasture can be used to address the first problem.