| Jahmai Jones | |
| Team: | New York Yankees |
| Position: | Outfielder / Second baseman |
| Birth Date: | 4 August 1997 |
| Birth Place: | Roswell, Georgia, U.S. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | August 31 |
| Debutyear: | 2020 |
| Debutteam: | Los Angeles Angels |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | July 3, 2024 |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .203 |
| Stat2label: | Home runs |
| Stat2value: | 1 |
| Stat3label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value: | 9 |
| Teams: | |
Jahmai Fitzgerald Jones (born August 4, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder and second baseman in the New York Yankees organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles, and Milwaukee Brewers. He made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Angels.
Jones attended the Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. He played football during his freshman and sophomore seasons, totaling 1,137 yards on 76 pass receptions and 12 touchdowns in those years. He then focused on baseball.[1] As a senior, he hit .464 with eight home runs, 21 runs batted in (RBIs), and 40 stolen bases and was named the Gwinnett Daily Post Baseball Player of the Year.[2] He was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.[3]
Jones made his professional debut with the Arizona League Angels and spent all of 2015 there, posting a .244 batting average with two home runs, 20 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. In 2016, Jones started the season with the Orem Owlz and was promoted to the Burlington Bees during the season.[4] He finished 2016 batting .302 with four home runs, 30 RBIs and twenty stolen bases in 64 games between both clubs.
In 2017, Jones played for both Burlington and the Inland Empire 66ers, posting a combined .282 batting average with 14 home runs, 47 RBIs, 27 stolen bases and a .794 OPS in 127 games. In 2018, Jones played with Inland and the Mobile BayBears, slashing .239/.337/.380 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases in 123 games.[5] In 2019, Jones spent the season with the Mobile BayBears,[6] batting .234/.308/.324 with five home runs, fifty RBIs, and nine stolen bases over 130 games. Following the season, he was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox,[7] and also, he was added to the Angels 40-man roster.[8]
On August 31, 2020, Jones made his MLB debut as a pinch runner.[9] On September 26, 2020, Jones got his first career hit off of Tony Gonsolin of the Los Angeles Dodgers.[10]
On February 2, 2021, Jones was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher Alex Cobb.[11] He was assigned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides to begin the season.[12] He underwent Tommy John surgery on May 27, 2022, and was designated for assignment on May 28.[13] He was released on June 3.[14] In 67 official at-bats with Baltimore in 2021, he batted .149 with 3 RBIs, 4 walks and 5 runs.
Jones signed a two-year minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 23, 2022.[15] In 62 games for the Triple–A Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2023, he had a .293 batting average with nine home runs and 34 RBI. On July 1, 2023, he opted out of his minor league contract and became a free agent.[16] [17]
On July 3, 2023, Jones signed a major league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and was added to their active roster.[18] The very same day, Jones recorded his first hit as a Brewer - a game tying, three RBI double.[19] [20] In seven total games for Milwaukee, he went 2–for–10 (.200) with three RBI and one stolen base. Jones was designated for assignment on February 21, 2024, following the re–signing of Brandon Woodruff.[21] [22]
On February 28, 2024, Jones was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees.[23] He made the Yankees' Opening Day roster.[24] Jones hit his first major league home run on May 12.[25] In 33 games for the Yankees, he batted .238/.304/.381 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. Jones was designated for assignment by New York on July 29.[26] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on August 2.[27]
His father, Andre Jones, played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions.[28] He died in 2011 due to a brain aneurysm.[29] His brother, T. J. Jones, was an NFL wide receiver.[30] His other brother, Malachi Jones, plays in the National Arena League (NAL) for the Albany Empire.[31]