Jahmai Jones of the Los Angeles Angels had his MLB debut on September 1st against the Seattle Mariners. The 2015 second-round draft pick received his call up on August 31st and entered the game the following day. Jones had been training at the Angels camp in Long Beach as part of their 60-man taxi squad but has seen limited action past Double-A Mobile.
As the Angels batted in the 9th inning, Manager Joe Maddon substituted Jones as a pinch-runner for Andrelton Simmons. Jones advanced to second base off of an Anthony Rendon walk and remained there as the game ended on an Albert Pujols popup. While he saw limited time, Angels fans will eagerly await his addition to the lineup in future games.
The struggling Angels look to provide the opportunity for some of their top minor league players to gain experience in the 2020 season. The team already called up Jo Adell, the systems top prospect, and should provide more game time for the young talent given the Angels record.
Jones Road to the Majors
Hot Rookie League Start
The Angels drafted Jones at the age of 17 out of the Wesleyan School, a private prep school in Georgia. His draft profile highlighted his athleticism, strength, and his bat speed. Jones reported to Arizona for Rookie League and posted favorable numbers with a 0.673 OPS. He started the 2016 season in the Pioneer League with the Orem Owls and posted much better results hitting for a 0.864 OPS with 20 RBI’s in 48 games. He moved up to low Class-A for the rest of the 2016 season and into the following season. Jones posted a 0.857 OPS hitting for Class-A Inland Empire in 2017 and moved to Double-A Mobile in 2018.
Struggles in Double-A Mobile
During his time in Double-A Mobile, Jones changed positions from center field to second base. While adapting to infield play, his numbers at the plate dropped. He stumbled out the gate in the 2019 season hitting a 0.179 BA with a 0.234 SLG after two months. While he was generating contact, he hit too many ground balls and popups.
Through these struggles, Jones displayed a lot of the characteristics that Angels evaluators loved: attitude and work ethic. He changed his batting stance by moving his hands back and better positioning his hips. The move showed positive results as Jones finished the 2019 season with an improved 0.234 BA and 0.631 OPS.
At the start of the 2020 season, the Angels looked to start Jones at Triple-A Salt Lake. However, with the minor league season canceled, the Angels kept Jones on the 60-man player pool. After his brief appearance against Seattle, Angels fans will look forward to seeing more from Jones the rest of the season.
Future Call Ups
Brandon Marsh
The most likely to join the Angels out of Long Beach is Brandon Marsh. He posted a 0.811 OPS with seven homers and 43 RBI in Double-A Mobile last season. He is the number two overall ranked prospect in the Angels system and was drafted in the second round in 2016. With Brian Goodwin off the roster, he fills in nicely with Adell, Mike Trout, and Justin Upton in the outfield.
New Southpaw
A likely stretch, Angels fans could see one of their two new pitching prospects this season Reid Detmers and Packy Naughton. While it is rare for a team to play a recently drafted player, Detmers excelled at one of the best college programs in the country, Louisville, showing exceptional pitching skills. Many argued he was the most MLB ready pitcher in the 2020 draft. Naughton, the recently acquired southpaw from the Cincinnati Reds, was voted the club’s minor league pitcher of the year last season. He dished out a 3.32 ERA going 11-12 in 2019. While he suffers from some command issues, his three-pitch mix includes a 94 mph fastball and slider with plenty of movement.
Bottomline
General Manager Billy Eppler deserves a good deal of credit for rebuilding the Angels farm system. Their player development ranked last among clubs for years as general managers traded away young talent for aging veterans. So far, Eppler resisted the urge to trade away the Angels top prospects. Regardless of his future, the team needs to get a better evaluation of their future players and the 2020 season format provides them the opportunity for more call ups without burning options or MLB service time.
Main Image
Embed from Getty Images
