One of the many notable players the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired during last offseason included outfielder Jake Mangum. The 30-year-old had an unexpectedly solid rookie season with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays then moved him to the Pirates in the deal that also netted them Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery. He has become a problem on the Pirates’ roster. He is not playing nearly as well as many expected him to.
The Pirates Have A Jake Mangum Problem On Their Hands
Mangum Is Coming Well Short Of Expectations
Let’s make one thing clear: there were never All-Star-caliber expectations for Mangum. Last year, he provided the Rays with solid defense and a playable bat. He batted .296/.330/.368 with a .307 wOBA, and 95 wRC+. His walk rate was a meager 4.4%, and he hit just three home runs over 438 plate appearances. On the plus side, he only struck out 15.5% of the time.
Most of his value came from his defense and baserunning. He was in the 91st percentile of sprint speed and swiped 27 bases with +3 baserunning value. On the defensive side of the ball, the switch-hitter had +4 defensive runs saved and +6 outs above average while seeing time at all three outfield positions. He was also in the 63rd percentile of arm strength, giving him a strong enough arm to make throws from any outfield spot.
Many expected Mangum to become a solid fourth outfield option for the Bucs this year. Unfortunately, he has fallen far short of those expectations. He is batting just .250/.320/.273 with a .273 wOBA, and 69 wRC+ over 99 plate appearances. While his walk rate has increased to 8.1%, his K% has also risen to 21.2%. Just two of his hits have gone for extra bases, with a pair of doubles. What’s even worse is that his defense hasn’t been nearly as good as last year. He has +2 DRS, but -1 OAA in 199 innings.
The Underlying Problems Are Hurting Mangum The Most
The real problems lie in his plate discipline, or lack thereof. Mangum never showed the sort of patience that Juan Soto has. However, it has become a serious issue this year. His chase rate was 43.8% last year and is now 50% this year. That heightened aggressiveness hasn’t come with more contact. His whiff rate sat below 20% last year at 18.9%, but is now coming in at 22.8%. Mangum’s zone contact rate is down significantly. He made contact on nearly 90% of his swings on pitches in the zone at 88.1% last season. That is now down to 81%. His called and swinging strike rate came in at 21.4% last year, and is now sitting at 23.9%.
Jake Mangum entered this game with 95 plate appearances and a chase rate according to statcast of 50%. He exits this game with 99 plate appearances. A chase rate of 50% would be the 5th worst chase rate as far back as statcast data is available (2015) with a minimum of 100PAs
— Connor Williams⚾🏴☠️ (@Wins_Williams) May 23, 2026
Mangum’s jump on flyballs has also gotten significantly worse. He came in around league average in 2025, with a jump of 34.1 feet. He ranked 43rd among 93 qualified players. This year, it has fallen drastically to just 32 feet, ranking 83rd among the 99 currently qualified fielders.
What Are The Pirates’ Options With Mangum?
The first option is to play him sparingly. With Billy Cook sent to Triple-A to make room for Esmerlyn Valdez, Mangum can fill that role. Cook barely played this year. Although he appeared in 32 games, he only had 21 plate appearances, and started just six of those contests. The Pirates primarily utilized him as a pinch runner and late-game defensive replacement. The outfielder may not see much playing time in this role, but it should not be off the table.
The other option is to send Mangum to Triple-A and call up someone else. The Pirates could recall Cook in exchange for him. Ronny Simon at least provides some versatility, even if he would not play often. The biggest caveat is that they would have to add him to the 40-man roster. They could also promote Nick Yorke for the same reason as calling up Simon, however they seem to want to give him regular playing time.
Regardless of the moves the Pirates make next, Mangum cannot start games, even on a semi-regular basis. With both Jhostynxon Garcia and Esmerlyn Valdez in the Major Leagues, they do not absolutley need Mangum on the roster. His bat isn’t playing like the Pirates likely hoped it would, and his defense has taken a step back. Until he can improve in one or both areas, they must give someone else a look.
Main Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
