Former Mississippi State Bulldog Tearing Up Minor League Baseball

Mississippi State alum Jake Mangum is having a monster first season in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Jun 20, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs outfielder Jake Mangum (15) scores a run in the seventh inning against the Louisville Cardinals in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Mississippi native and former Bulldog Jake Mangum was a hit machine in Starkville from 2016 to 2019. Some things never change.

Mangum, who was drafted by the New York Mets in 2019, is now one of the top prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. In his first season with the Triple-A Durham Bulls, the switch-hitting outfielder leads the International League with a .323 batting average. He also has 26 doubles and 16 stolen bases despite missing games earlier in the year.

3 more hits today for Jake Mangum, raising his IL leading batting average to .3⃣2⃣3⃣ with 12 games left! pic.twitter.com/EdvRf2RV65

— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) September 8, 2024

Mangum had a record-setting four-year career at Mississippi State. The three-time All-American hit .408 as a freshman, set the single-season MSU hit mark as a senior, and graduated as the all-time SEC leader with 353 hits. Here's the hit that put him in the SEC records books in 2019:

After six seasons in the minors, Mangum has yet to be called up to the majors, though he should get that opportunity in 2025. The Rays are having their worst season since 2016 and can use a multi-tool outfielder of Mangum's caliber on the roster. The Flowood native comes from a long line of professional athletes. His dad, John, played football for Alabama and the Chicago Bears, while his uncle, Kris, was a tight end for Ole Miss and the Carolina Panthers.

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