Jake Mangum earns first MLB call with the Tampa Bay Rays
At long last: Jake Mangum is getting his call up.
Mississippi State patrons have been leading the charge to get Mangum on a main roster for the last several years and the SEC legend will get his first taste. An injury to Tampa Bay Rays OF Josh Lowe opens up a roster spot for now and Mangum gets the call from Durham, at least for a moment.
Mangum’s selection makes him the 71st former Diamond Dawg to make it to a main roster. He’s the 10th active player in the MLB.
Since Mangum began his professional journey back in 2019, he has been a steady producer at the plate and in the field. The OF has played in 432 games over five seasons and racked up 496 hits while batting .296. Mangum has scored 254 runs, produced 101 doubles, 24 home runs and 21 triples and he’s driven in 208 RBI. Mangum has also stolen 81 bases and been a stellar defender in centerfield.
Mangum cemented himself as a Diamond Dawg legend during his time in Starkville. After previously being committed to Alabama in high school, the Jackson Prep standout would flip to John Cohen and the Bulldogs.
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In year one, Mangum made his mark as the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016 when he batted .408 with 84 hits, 12 doubles, three triples and a home run while slugging a career-high .510.
From there, Mangum would put together one of the greatest careers in State history. Mangum had a career batting average of .357 in four years with 262 games played and he broke the SEC record with 383 career hits.
Mangum had 73 doubles, 10 triples, five home runs, 126 RBI and 229 runs scored. He helped State to an SEC Championship, four NCAA Regionals, four Super Regionals and two College World Series. After being drafted two times as an undergrad, Mangum turned it down to play all four years in Starkville and eventually signed with the New York Mets in the fourth round in 2019.
Now, the Mayor of Starkville gets a chance to add Big Leaguer to his incredible legacy.
