Former Mets prospect makes baseball history with Tampa Bay Rays

One-time New York Mets' prospect Jake Mangum had a historic night in his second career big league game with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mar 31, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jake Mangum (28) celebrates after hitting a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have done a good job of identifying potential big league talent over the years, even if some of those players find success on other teams.

Sometimes talented players slip through the cracks because there isn't a spot for them on the 40-man roster, leaving them vulnerable to being taken in the Rule 5 draft.

Read More: Six Mets' position player prospects to watch in 2025

One new example could be outfielder Jake Mangum, who the Mets took in the the fourth round of the 2019 draft and got to Triple-A Syracuse before the team sent him to Miami in a 2022 offseason trade for relievers Elieser Hernandez and Jeff Brigham. Miami then shipped Mangum to Tampa Bay a year later before the Rays put him on their 40-man roster last winter.

Mangum made his big league debut on Sunday with the Rays and had a historic performance on Monday, going 4-for-4 with two stolen bases in Tampa Bay's win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The effort made Mangum just the second player since 1912 to record four hits and two stolen bases in one of his first two career games, joining former Mets' manager Casey Stengel from his playing days as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Jake Mangum recorded 4 hits and 2 stolen bases in his second MLB game tonight.

The only other MLB player to debut in the modern era to have 4+ hits and 2+ stolen bases in one of his first two career games was Casey Stengel who did so in his first game on September 17, 1912. pic.twitter.com/Pj9mxvaBY3

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 1, 2025

After a strong collegiate career at Mississippi State, Mangum hit for a high average throughout his minor league career but wasn't considered a top prospect in most circles due to his lack of power. Mangum has hit just 21 home runs in almost 1,700 minor league at-bats, but his .296 career batting average and .349 career on base percentage showcased a usable big-league skillset.

Full highlights from Jake Mangum’s special performance tonight❗️ pic.twitter.com/Jk61uE5g1L

— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) April 1, 2025

The Rays promoted Mangum to the big leagues after Josh Lowe landed on the injured list, and he got to make his mark with a historic performance. It is unclear if the 29-year old can stick as a big league regular, but Tampa Bay is a perfect spot for a player with a skillset like Mangum's to prove he belongs in the majors, even if it is as a fourth outfielder.