Jake Mangum should be playing baseball. Mangum turned 24 on March 8. Time is crucial for him. Twenty-four is an ideal age to start your first season in professional baseball. He knows he is on the clock. Mangum stated that he just wanted to play baseball on Thursday morning before taking a few swings at Jackson Prep’s batting cages. “Actually I don’t want to just be playing. I need to play.” The 2020 baseball season has been put on hold. Mangum’s baseball career is in jeopardy. Jake Mangum knows how difficult that can be for him. He loves the sport and is a dedicated player. He is always on the field first and gets his uniform dirty before everyone else. He is fast. He cannot stand to be indifferent. As an invited non-Major League roster member, he began the spring at the New York Mets Major League camp. On February 22, he got his first hit against Major League pitching. He had hoped to start the season in high-class A League baseball with the Mets’ Port St. Lucie club. He now knows that there may not be a minor league season. He spends his time working out, swinging, lifting weights and making himself stronger. He says, “When they call me and tell me it’s time for play, I will be ready.” He looks ready. He actually looks larger, with a wider upper body and shoulders. He now weighs in at 195 pounds and has gained 15 pounds of muscle. He is now 195 pounds more than John Mangum, his father, who weighed 190 pounds when he was a nine-year cornerback for Chicago Bears. Jake Mangum claims he’s hitting the ball harder than ever. He was the Southeastern Conference’s all time hits leader at Mississippi State with 383, although only five of those home runs were for him. While he won’t be a home-run slugger, some his line drives could turn into gappers and some singles could become doubles or triples. His father, Trey Hannam, and he have tinkered with their swings. He says his swing is more level than it was before. Mangum states that the early results are promising. Mangum spent the remainder of the summer playing in the New York-Penn League’s rookie league team, Brooklyn Cyclones. State’s 2019 season ended in June 20th in the College World Series. In 53 games, he hit.247 and had 45 hits as well as 17 stolen bases. “I had an enjoyable summer. He says that he felt it was a good start. He felt that he had made more progress when he attended the Mets’ Dominican Republic Baseball Academy and produced nine hits in twelve at-bats in limited game action. He said, “Big strides there.” He said, “I hit it really well.” This combined with the extra muscle made him eager to start his first year of professional baseball. The league is currently in a holding mode. Major League players and owners are fighting over the details of this season and how to split the lower revenue. Safety concerns are also a concern. There are also indications that we could learn more this week. There are some issues that will hopefully be resolved at the scheduled Tuesday meeting between both sides. Minor league baseball is not going to be resolved until Major League Baseball has a plan. A reduced season could be possible. It is possible that there will not be a minor league season. Mangum is patient and states that he can see both sides. He wants to just play. He has started a podcast called “The Jake Mangum Show” via Apple Podcasts. Mangum states that “this seemed like a great time to learn a new skill.” He said that a career as a broadcaster is something he had considered post-baseball. But he hopes it is not too far away. Mangum said, “I’m going play until they take the jersey off me.”