On Wednesday night, The Tampa Bay Rays celebrated Jake Mangum for his intangibles.
The team presented their 29-year-old rookie left fielder with the 2025 MLBPAA Heart and Hustle Award, a defining and humbling achievement for Mangum.
“Just finally getting the opportunity in the big leagues,” Mangum said before Wednesday’s 9-4 series sweeping win over the Seattle Mariners. “Experiencing all this for the first time; the new stadiums, how things are different from minor league baseball.
After being selected by the New York Mets with the 118th pick in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Mangum remained in the minor league systems of the Mets, the Marlins and the Rays over a six-year period before having his contract selected by Tampa Bay last November.
“You kind of bottle all of that up, and it’s kind of a whirlwind. It’s a great thing to be a part of, and I’m very thankful.”
Mangum’s family has made their name on the gridiron. His father, John, played nine seasons in the NFL in the 1990s as a defensive back with the Chicago Bears.
John played collegiately at Alabama and still holds the program record for career passes broken up (48).
Mangum’s uncle, Kris, won a national championship at Alabama in 1992 and was a tight end for the Carolina Panthers from 1997–2006. His grandfather, John Sr., had a brief stint as a defensive tackle for the AFL’s Boston Patriots from 1966-67.
Mangum followed the footsteps of the men in his life for a while before choosing baseball. However, winning the Heart and Hustle Award reminds him of the bond he shares with his father.
“My dad didn’t keep much when we were growing up, memorabilia wise,” Mangum said. “But he always kept his Ed Block Courage Award right in the middle of his desk, and I feel like this is kind of the equivalent to that.”
“It means a lot to me, because I wouldn’t be here without him. It really means a lot.”
Mangum has become a fan favorite, as evidenced by the crowd chanting along to his walk-up song “Your Love” by English pop rock band, The Outfield.
Through 96 games played, Mangum is hitting .293 with 35 RBIs and two home runs. He has the second most stolen bases on the team (21) behind Chandler Simpson (39).
While Mangum is relishing his latest accomplishment, his focus remains on winning games, especially as the Rays (70-69) are showing signs of life after completing a sweep of the Seattle Mariners at home and going 9-2 over their last 11 to get above .500 for the first time since July 28.
When Mangum was asked what the most rewarding part of the season has been, he chose to leave his response for another time.
“Get back to me in a couple of weeks. There’s still some ball left to be played before I can answer that.”
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