Jake Mangum

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #28 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Mangum’s father and grandfather played in the NFL, and Jake has that competitive drive in common with them. He stayed an extra year at Mississippi State to set the Southeastern Conference’s all-time hits record and then signed with the Mets as a 2019 fourth-rounder. Mangum’s pro debut was uninspiring, but changes made at the alternate training site in 2020 helped set the stage for a productive 2021 spent mostly at Double-A Binghamton.
  
  Scouting Report: Mangum altered his hand position to improve his attack angle to the ball. The results became obvious later in the season as he learned he could accomplish more by swinging less. Mangum hit .340/.395/.526 in his final 53 games, at one point reaching base in 29 straight games. He doesn’t take a ton of walks but doesn’t strike out often, either. Mangum is the best defensive outfielder in the system and an above-average runner with an above-average arm and range in center field.
  
  The Future: Mangum is driven to reach the major leagues. If his gains from the second half of 2021 hold, then he will do just that, most likely as an extra outfielder.
  
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #26 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former NFL defensive back John Mangum, Jake turned down two chances to turn pro so that he could chase history. With a 108-hit senior season at Mississippi State in 2019, he set the Southeastern Conference all-time hits record. The Mets drafted Mangum in the fourth round in 2019 but signed him for just $20,000 as part of a strategy to save bonus pool money for higher draft picks.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mangum looked largely overmatched as a 23-year-old slap hitter in the short-season New York-Penn League in his 2019 pro debut. That drove him to retool his swing by altering his hand position and setup to help boost his exit velocity and improve his attack angle. With two strikes, Mangum reverts to his spread-out stance he used to great effect in college to poke the ball to the opposite field. He could become an average major league hitter, albeit with well below-average power. Mangum is capable at all three outfield spots as a plus runner with an above-average arm. He is most proficient on the corners.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mangum's feel for hitting, discipline, speed and versatility make him a potential fourth outfielder. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #338 prospect in 2019 draft
  Mangum turned down the Yankees as a 30th-round pick in 2017 and said no to the Mets last year as a 32nd-round pick. Instead of going pro, he decided to immortalize himself as one of the best players in the storied history of Mississippi State baseball. The son of Chicago Bears defensive back John Magum, Jake is the Southeastern Conference's all-time hits leader. As a senior, he first wrested the Bulldogs' hit record from Jeffrey Rea and then topped Louisiana State's Eddy Furniss for the conference record. Mangum is much the same player who won the conference batting title with a .408 mark as a freshman. He's never hit over .400 again, but he sprays the ball all around the field with excellent bat control. He's a plus runner who can turn in a plus-plus time at his best. And he's a solid defensive center fielder with an above-average arm. What keeps pro scouts from getting too excited is his complete lack of power--some scouts say it's a 20, others say he may eventually have 30 power on the 20-to-80 scout scale. Some evaluators see him as a potential fourth or fifth outfielder because of his speed, defense and bat-to-ball skills, while others see his career following in the footsteps of Rea and Furniss--college greats whose pro careers quickly flamed out.
• Ranked #134 prospect in 2018 draft
  Mangum burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2016, when he hit .408 and helped Mississippi State to a Southeastern Conference title. Mangum, the son of former Chicago Bears and Alabama defensive back John Mangum, played through a broken left hand--his throwing hand--as a sophomore. He missed just two games all season and hit .324. A draft-eligible sophomore, he was a difficult sign and chose to return to school after being taken in the 30th round by the Yankees. After a solid summer in the Cape Cod League, Mangum is back to full health and has returned to his freshman form. His game is based around his contact ability and well above-average speed. The switch-hitter has exceptional bat-to-ball skills and takes full advantage of his speed at the plate, though to the detriment of hitting for power. He is an aggressive hitter and rarely walks as a result. Mangum's speed also plays well in center field, where he is an above-average defender with a solid arm. His game is something of a throwback, but his feel for hitting, speed and defensive ability give him some sought-after tools.
• Ranked #169 prospect in 2017 draft
  Mangum comes from a football family--his father, uncle and grandfather all played in the NFL--and he brings a football mentality to the diamond. He burst onto the scene last season as a freshman when he won the Southeastern Conference batting title with a .408 mark. A talented two-way player in high school, he resumed pitching this spring for the injury-ravaged Bulldogs, appearing in six games (five starts) before breaking a bone in his left hand. He continued to hit and play center field despite the injury. Mangum, a switch-hitter, has excellent hand-eye coordination and his game is based around using his plus speed to get on base. He has a short swing from both sides of the plate, limiting his power. Mangum covers ground well in center field and has an above-average arm. He is a draft-eligible sophomore and is expected to be a difficult sign.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Mangum’s father and grandfather played in the NFL, and Jake has that competitive drive in common with them. He stayed an extra year at Mississippi State to set the Southeastern Conference’s all-time hits record and then signed with the Mets as a 2019 fourth-rounder. Mangum’s pro debut was uninspiring, but changes made at the alternate training site in 2020 helped set the stage for a productive 2021 spent mostly at Double-A Binghamton.
  
  Scouting Report: Mangum altered his hand position to improve his attack angle to the ball. The results became obvious later in the season as he learned he could accomplish more by swinging less. Mangum hit .340/.395/.526 in his final 53 games, at one point reaching base in 29 straight games. He doesn’t take a ton of walks but doesn’t strike out often, either. Mangum is the best defensive outfielder in the system and an above-average runner with an above-average arm and range in center field.
  
  The Future: Mangum is driven to reach the major leagues. If his gains from the second half of 2021 hold, then he will do just that, most likely as an extra outfielder.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former NFL defensive back John Mangum, Jake turned down two chances to turn pro so that he could chase history. With a 108-hit senior season at Mississippi State in 2019, he set the Southeastern Conference all-time hits record. The Mets drafted Mangum in the fourth round in 2019 but signed him for just $20,000 as part of a strategy to save bonus pool money for higher draft picks.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mangum looked largely overmatched as a 23-year-old slap hitter in the short-season New York-Penn League in his 2019 pro debut. That drove him to retool his swing by altering his hand position and setup to help boost his exit velocity and improve his attack angle. With two strikes, Mangum reverts to his spread-out stance he used to great effect in college to poke the ball to the opposite field. He could become an average major league hitter, albeit with well below-average power. Mangum is capable at all three outfield spots as a plus runner with an above-average arm. He is most proficient on the corners.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mangum's feel for hitting, discipline, speed and versatility make him a potential fourth outfielder. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former NFL defensive back John Mangum, Jake turned down two chances to turn pro so that he could chase history. With a 108-hit senior season at Mississippi State in 2019, he set the Southeastern Conference all-time hits record. The Mets drafted Mangum in the fourth round in 2019 but signed him for just $20,000 as part of a strategy to save bonus pool money for higher draft picks.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mangum looked largely overmatched as a 23-year-old slap hitter in the short-season New York-Penn League in his 2019 pro debut. That drove him to retool his swing by altering his hand position and setup to help boost his exit velocity and improve his attack angle. With two strikes, Mangum reverts to his spread-out stance he used to great effect in college to poke the ball to the opposite field. He could become an average major league hitter, albeit with well below-average power. Mangum is capable at all three outfield spots as a plus runner with an above-average arm. He is most proficient on the corners.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mangum's feel for hitting, discipline, speed and versatility make him a potential fourth outfielder. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The son of former NFL defensive back John Mangum, Jake turned down two chances to turn pro so that he could chase history. With a 108-hit senior season at Mississippi State in 2019, he set the Southeastern Conference all-time hits record. The Mets drafted Mangum in the fourth round in 2019 but signed him for just $20,000 as part of a strategy to save bonus pool money for higher draft picks.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mangum looked largely overmatched as a 23-year-old slap hitter in the short-season New York-Penn League in his 2019 pro debut. That drove him to retool his swing by altering his hand position and setup to help boost his exit velocity and improve his attack angle. With two strikes, Mangum reverts to his spread-out stance he used to great effect in college to poke the ball to the opposite field. He could become an average major league hitter, albeit with well below-average power. Mangum is capable at all three outfield spots as a plus runner with an above-average arm. He is most proficient on the corners.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mangum's feel for hitting, discipline, speed and versatility make him a potential fourth outfielder. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Mangum turned down the Yankees as a 30th-round pick in 2017 and said no to the Mets last year as a 32nd-round pick. Instead of going pro, he decided to immortalize himself as one of the best players in the storied history of Mississippi State baseball. The son of Chicago Bears defensive back John Magum, Jake is the Southeastern Conference's all-time hits leader. As a senior, he first wrested the Bulldogs' hit record from Jeffrey Rea and then topped Louisiana State's Eddy Furniss for the conference record. Mangum is much the same player who won the conference batting title with a .408 mark as a freshman. He's never hit over .400 again, but he sprays the ball all around the field with excellent bat control. He's a plus runner who can turn in a plus-plus time at his best. And he's a solid defensive center fielder with an above-average arm. What keeps pro scouts from getting too excited is his complete lack of power--some scouts say it's a 20, others say he may eventually have 30 power on the 20-to-80 scout scale. Some evaluators see him as a potential fourth or fifth outfielder because of his speed, defense and bat-to-ball skills, while others see his career following in the footsteps of Rea and Furniss--college greats whose pro careers quickly flamed out.