{"id":55581,"date":"2022-07-06T16:31:24","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T20:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=55581"},"modified":"2022-07-07T04:51:32","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T08:51:32","slug":"jake-hager-perseveres-diamondbacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2022\/07\/06\/jake-hager-perseveres-diamondbacks\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDon\u2019t Give Up:\u201d Jake Hager, after a Decade in the Minors, Gets His Chance with the Diamondbacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three members of the Las Vegas area high school Class of 2011 have been drafted and made the big leagues. One of those three graduated early and was the first overall pick in 2010 \u2014 2021 National League MVP Bryce Harper, who made his debut for the Washington Nationals<\/a> in 2012 at the age of 19. The second, Erick Fedde, attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Three years later, the Nationals drafted him in the first round, and he made his debut with them in 2017. The third was a first-round pick (32nd overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays<\/a> in 2011. It took years of patience and perseverance, but in 2021, he finally made the majors with the New York Mets<\/a>. He didn\u2019t stay long, bouncing around to three other teams before settling in. Now he\u2019s a valuable utility infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> \u2014 Jake Hager.<\/p>\n

The Minor-League Journey of Jake Hager<\/h3>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a journey for sure,\u201d Jake Hager said of his career. It began in 2011 with the Princeton (West Virginia) Rays of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He progressed through the system nicely, moving up one level per season. He turned 21 during Spring Training 2014 and headed to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. Hager had a good season despite developing patellar tendonitis in both knees. In Spring Training 2015, he tore his right patellar tendon. \u201cThat derailed me a little bit,\u201d Hager recalled. \u201cThat was hard. I had to miss all of 2015, when I was slated to go to Triple-A that season. You never know what could happen, but I told myself I wanted to come back stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he returned in 2016, he didn\u2019t have the same opportunity. \u201cI understand,\u201d Hager said. \u201cThat\u2019s part of baseball. I missed a year and lost that prospect status. They (the Rays) signed a couple of guys that year, and they jumped in front of me.\u201d With those events, Hager became a utility player. He went back to Montgomery, where he played well enough to get called up to the Triple-A Durham Bulls in early June.<\/p>\n

His career stalled at this point. \u201cI wasn\u2019t an everyday guy, so I kind of struggled in \u201916 and \u201917. In \u201917, I thought I was going to be an everyday guy but ended up not being it. I had to learn how to be that full utility guy and not play every day. That was my last year with the Rays. I didn’t have a great year, but we won the (Triple-A) Championship, so it was a lot of fun. It was really cool to win that with Durham.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake Hager became a free agent that offseason. The Milwaukee Brewers<\/a> signed him and sent him to Mississippi to play for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers. \u201cYou know what,\u201d Hager said with a smile, \u201cI was happy to be in a new spot and revamp my career there.\u201d He had one of the best years of his career, making the Double\u2013A All-Star Team. After 64 games, he was promoted to the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox, continuing to play well. \u201cI thought I had a good chance of being a September call up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sure enough, I broke my ankle.\u201d<\/p>\n

July 30, 2018, Hager left the game against the Albuquerque Isotopes with a broken ankle. (In an added insult, the pinch-hitter that finished his at-bat was hit by the pitch.) \u201cI had some bad luck with injuries, but I did well enough that (the Brewers) brought me back in 2019. Same thing happened to me that happened with the Rays. They went and signed some guys that jumped in front of me, so I didn\u2019t have the same opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I didn\u2019t give up. I wanted to continue (playing) and ended up having a pretty good year for the role I had in 2019.\u201d He did so in a new city, as the Sky Sox moved to Texas and became the San Antonio Missions. His contract with the Brewers was up, but the Mets signed him for 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then the pandemic hit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hager spent all of the shortened 2020 season at the Mets\u2019 alternate site on Coney Island. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy, man,\u201d he said with a \u201ccan you believe this?\u201d smile. But Hager did well enough at the alternate site for the Mets to bring him back. He had a great big-league camp in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sure enough, I made my debut.\u201d<\/p>\n

On May 15, 2021, the Mets called Hager up for an away game. The site was perfect \u2014 Tropicana Field against the Rays. \u201cI got drafted by the Rays, always dreamed of being a Tampa Bay Ray and playing in the Trop. It was very special. All the guys that were over there, that I came up with, were still there \u2014 coaches, the training staff, a couple of players\u2026it was special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hager came to the plate as a pinch-hitter with two out in the top of the ninth. The Rays led the Mets, 12\u20135. When the PA announcer said his name, \u201call of them (the Rays) were on the top step. It was really cool.\u201d Hager had done so much to prepare for this moment that he had no jitters. \u201cI honestly wasn\u2019t nervous when I went up to the plate, but when I saw that, my heart started pounding. So I had to step out and slow myself down.\u201d He calmed down enough to send a deep liner to right-center, but Brett Phillips made a running over-the-shoulder catch to rob him of an extra-base hit and end the game.<\/p>\n

That was the first of five games with the Mets. He played again the next day, entering as a defensive sub in the bottom of the first. The day after that, the Mets were in Atlanta; Hager pinch-hit in the top of the eighth. He played again two days later in Atlanta, entering in the fifth. On May 21, in a road game against the Miami Marlins, he got his first hit \u2014 a single off Adam Cimber in the top of the 12th.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on a big high,\u201d Hager said, \u201cand was slated to start at second the next day.\u201d But instead, he was designated for assignment (DFAed). \u201cI did not expect it,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s when last year got crazy. Got DFAed by the Mets, claimed again by the Brewers. They sent me to (Triple-A) Nashville. I was doing well for them \u2014 DFAed again. Got to go to the (Seattle) Mariners<\/a>. I went to (Triple-A) Tacoma with them. Was with them for about a month and a half. Got off to a slow start but had a really good last few weeks before the trade deadline. I honestly thought I was being called up. Got pulled in the seventh inning\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026for them to tell me that they DFAed me mid-game.\u201d<\/p>\n

But two days later, the Diamondbacks claimed him. \u201cThey sent me straight to the big leagues,\u201d he grinned.<\/p>\n

In his first stint, he played in six games between August 1 and 8. He started in five, notching two hits in the process. On August 9, he was optioned to Triple-A, but three days later, right fielder Kole Calhoun got hurt, and Hager was back. \u201cI didn\u2019t play (much) at all when I was back, but it\u2019s okay. That\u2019s part of (the game),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Diamondbacks outrighted him to the minors with a few weeks left in the season. No one claimed him, so he went to Reno. Hager reflected on the whole year with, \u201cIt was a crazy year last year, but looking back on it, I got to learn a lot about how the business side of the game works and how it all goes. I got to reflect on a lot of things, but it got me to where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake Hager the Ballplayer<\/h3>\n

Jake Hager has resonated with his Diamondbacks teammates, coaches, and manager. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo called him \u201ca very prepared player who probably has one of the hardest jobs in baseball. He doesn\u2019t play every day, but he\u2019s expected to have perfect timing offensively and defensively. So he brings an energy, a focus, and a great deal of dependability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outfielder Cooper Hummel, who spent some time with Hager in the minors, called Hager \u201cone of the best defenders I\u2019ve ever played with. He\u2019s a surefire thing on defense. The way the game is, you need guys who can (do that) in the back end of the game, even if you\u2019re not playing. (You need) someone who is ready to go every single day. He\u2019s one of the hardest workers I\u2019ve ever played with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outfielder Pavin Smith called him a \u201cdo-it-all kind of guy.\u201d First baseman Christian Walker added, \u201cJake\u2019s great. He works hard, is very prepared, and takes care of himself. You know that when he gets called upon, he\u2019s gonna be ready. That\u2019s all you can ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Third base coach Tony Perezchica, who also works with the infielders, praised Hager for what he brings to the club. \u201cHard worker,\u201d he immediately said. \u201cDesire, hard worker \u2014 I like the way he goes about his business. He wants to work, wants to get better. Guys like that tend to hang on a long time in the big leagues just because they can do that. And he\u2019s getting better. I have nothing bad to say about him. He\u2019s always the guy that I wish more guys would look at him and say, \u2018Oh, man, this guy\u2019s a worker.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake of All Trades<\/h4>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>