Rays recent outfield call-up collects first MLB hit in impressive offensive display

Attention Rays fans: we may have a new fan-favorite brewing in Tampa, Florida. No, he's not going to hit 30 home runs or swipe 50 bases, but the guy is electric and hungry. He's scrappy and tenacious. He's a prototypical Rays player and hopefully he locks up a spot on this deep roster.

Jake Mangum has been a hitting machine since his college days at Mississippi State University. The former Bulldog broke multiple collegiate records as he finished with an astounding .357/.420/.457 slash line. Therefore, his appearance in the big leagues comes as no surprise to many people that know him personally.

Although Rays fans are just now getting acclimated to the 29-year old outfielder, he is quickly becoming a treasured player. In 104 games last year, the young switch-hitter produced a Triple-A best .317 average with 37 extra-base hits. The front office made the simple decision of adding his services to the 40-man roster after the loss of electric center fielder Jose Siri.

Mangum never stopped hitting. His numbers only improved during spring training as he hit .429 with two home runs. Despite the fantastic spring, he didn't crack the Opening Day roster right away due to the depth of this club. However, injuries are always prevalent, especially in this day in age, so the hard-working athlete was bound to arrive on the scene eventually.

It was due to unfortunate circumstances, as the Rays lost reliable lefty Josh Lowe to injury on Opening Day. The 27-year old was coming off of an injury-ridden 2024 campaign, so this news was certainly heartbreaking. Although, all bad things can bring good. Jake Mangum was called up to the show for his debut on the second game of the season. He was so excited to get to Steinbrenner Field that he caught an Uber for the long trip to the airport.

The Mississippi native arrived on time for the second Rockies-Rays exhibition, but he didn't enter the game until the rubber match. On March 30th, Mangum found himself in the starting lineup against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner. It was a thrilling day, but he didn't breakout until yesterday's game against the Pirates.

In that contest, Mangum went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. The scrappy right fielder also portrayed exceptional hustle on the defensive side. The Rays would defeat the Pirates and improve to 3-1 on the young season. This looks like the making of a fun 2025 with our new under-the-radar additions.