Pittsburgh Pirates' Jake Mangum knows he still has room to grow after a respectable rookie season.
Jake Mangum may not have started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he certainly has a chance to build on his successful rookie campaign and become a staple of the franchise for years to come with the organization.
Mangum was traded to Pittsburgh from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this offseason, and the 29-year-old will have a chance to become a key piece to the Pirates' playoff push next season.
When talking about his rookie season with the Rays on a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio, Mangum said, “I'd say the best way to describe last year was, I went up there and just did my best. I gave them my all. You never know how many chances you get in the big leagues and for me, being a rookie, I wanted to go up and show that I belong to stay.”
Mangum certainly left a solid, strong impression, registering a .296 batting average and a .698 OPS in 405 at-bats, while also ranking in the 91st percentile in outs above average.
Even though there was a lot to like about Mangum’s first full big-league season, the outfielder still has some work to do as well, and he’s fully aware of that.
“I'm trying to become a more complete baseball player by taking more shots and getting in the better head of accounts, maybe working a couple walks, but really just understanding when to take that swing that,” continued Mangum.
“[Know when] you're trying to do a little bit more damage than just trying to touch it and run. [I] felt like all year last year, my plan was to just touch it and run and I know that I can progress with that and, really looking forward to the opportunity to do it next year.”
For as much as Mangum got on base, he didn't hit the ball very hard, with an average exit velocity of 87.3 mph. The contact-oriented hitter clearly realizes there might need to be a little bit of a trade-off to make a bigger impact on the ball.
It’ll be interesting to see how Mangum fits into Pittsburgh’s lineup; he rarely strains out and makes incredible contact. If the switch-hitter can generate some more walks, there’s a good chance Mangum could be the Pirates’ leadoff hitter at some point next season.