James Jones (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Jones |
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Jones with the Seattle Mariners in 2014
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| Outfielder / Pitcher | |||
| Born: September 24, 1988 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 18, 2014, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 4, 2015, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .238 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 9 | ||
| Stolen bases | 28 | ||
| Teams | |||
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James Steven Jones, born on September 24, 1988, is a former American baseball player. He played as an outfielder and also as a pitcher. The Seattle Mariners picked him in the fourth round of the 2009 baseball draft. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball (MLB) with them in 2014.
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Early Life and College Baseball
James went to the High School of Telecommunications in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He helped his team win the Brooklyn West Division Championship. He played as both a pitcher and a regular player.
In 2007, James started attending Long Island University. During his first year, he played in 50 games. He also pitched in 12 of those games. He hit for a .299 batting average. He also had 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 32 RBIs. He also stole eight bases. As a pitcher, he won 2 games and lost 6.
In 2008, he started all 67 games. He also pitched in 14 games. James hit .309 with eight doubles and five home runs. He had 28 RBIs. He led his team with 41 runs and 19 stolen bases. He received many awards that year. Many people thought he would be a pitcher in the professional draft. His fastball could reach 95 miles per hour.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Seattle Mariners
James Jones started his professional career in 2009. He played for the Low-A Everett AquaSox. He played in different outfield positions. He also played at first base and as a designated hitter. Jones finished the season hitting .311. He had 12 doubles, three home runs, and 24 RBIs.
In 2010, Baseball America magazine said Jones had the "Best Outfield Arm" in the Seattle Mariners team. He was sent to the Single-A Clinton LumberKings. That season, Jones hit .269. He scored 87 runs and had 132 hits. He also had 24 doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, and 64 RBIs. He stole 24 bases.
The Mariners added Jones to their main roster in November 2013. He was called up to the Mariners on April 16, 2014. He made his MLB debut on April 18, 2014, against the Miami Marlins. In his first time at bat, he got his first MLB hit. After that game, he was sent back to Triple-A Tacoma. On May 5, 2014, he was called back to the Mariners.
On May 18, 2014, Jones joined Edgar Martínez. They were the only Mariners players to get a hit in their first ten MLB starts. He got a hit in each of his first 13 MLB starts.
Time with the Texas Rangers
On November 16, 2015, the Mariners traded Jones to the Texas Rangers. Tom Wilhelmsen and another player were also part of the trade. In return, the Mariners received Leonys Martín and Anthony Bass. The Rangers did not offer him a contract for 2016. So, he became a free agent on December 2. He signed a new minor league contract on December 10.
Jones started the 2016 season with the Triple-A Round Rock Express. Later, he started playing as a pitcher. In August, Jones pitched for the first time for the Arizona League Rangers. Jones missed the entire 2017 season. This was because he had Tommy John surgery in 2016. In 2018, he played for several minor league teams. He had a record of 1 win and 1 loss. His ERA was 7.34 over 30 and two-thirds innings. Jones became a free agent in November 2018.
Jones signed again with the Rangers in February 2019. He played for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders and Triple-A Nashville Sounds. He had a combined record of 3 wins and 2 losses. His ERA was 3.52 with 71 strikeouts over 64 innings. Jones won the Texas Rangers 2019 Minor League True Ranger Award. He became a free agent again in November. Jones signed another minor league contract with the Rangers in January 2020. He did not play in 2020. This was because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jones played for Round Rock, Frisco, and the Arizona Complex League Rangers in 2022. He pitched in 22 games. He had a record of 4 wins and 0 losses. His ERA was 3.86 with 36 strikeouts in 21 innings. Jones became a free agent in November 2022.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers
On December 15, 2022, Jones signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched in five games with the Arizona Complex League Dodgers. He also pitched in 15 games for the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He had a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. His ERA was 3.67 over 27 innings. Jones became a free agent in November 2023.
