Jake Mangum is already settling into the idea of Pittsburgh, and the presence of familiar faces has helped make that transition easier. Seeing Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery join the organization alongside him added an immediate layer of excitement.
“Brandon Lowe texted me and Mason ‘Buccos?’ … I was excited. Especially when I saw Lowe coming and Mason coming. That’s exciting stuff.”
For Mangum, that excitement extends beyond relationships and into the direction the Pirates have laid out. From the start, the messaging has been about progress and competing, something that stood out to him.
“Everything that the Pirates have said to me, has been all about taking the next step as an organization and that they are trying to make a push this year…”
He has also quickly embraced what Pittsburgh represents within the game, from the history to the setting he will soon call home.
“Pittsburgh has a long history, man. It’s a kind of stapled logo and uniform in the MLB. PNC Park is one of the most gorgeous stadiums in the league. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m fired up to go see it in January at Fan Fest.”
Mangum spoke with clear admiration when the conversation turned to Konnor Griffin, another Jackson Prep alum who is on track to become part of the organization’s future.
“A special kid, man. He is well-mannered, humble, absolute freak, perfect size… he’s a freak man.”
More than anything, Mangum is looking forward to the opportunity to share a field and a workspace with Griffin.
“He’s soon to be a Pittsburgh Pirate, and when he is I can’t wait to watch. I can’t wait to be in Spring with him and spend some time with him actually at work.”
When it comes to his own role, Mangum keeps things simple. His focus is on effort and contribution, not labels or expectations.
“I’m going to try to do my best and do whatever it takes to help the Pirates win baseball games. We are going to try to do that to the best of our abilities.”
That mentality shows up defensively, where Mangum values versatility and readiness.
“I feel most comfortable wherever they tell me to play. I feel comfortable at all three. I feel like I can go track a ball down and throw people out at all three positions.”
Being prepared matters to him, regardless of where he is placed on the field.
“As far as I know, I will be ready to play all three positions.”
Mangum’s confidence is grounded in work. He believes improvement comes from repetition and embracing the difficult parts of the game.
“I think if you want to be good at diving and catching balls, you’ve got to dive and catch balls. There is no substitute for actually doing it.”
That belief has only strengthened with experience.
“The older I get, the more and more I realize it’s just doing the repetition over and over again.”
At the plate, Mangum has leaned into an approach that prioritizes contact and pressure.
“I can run. The Good Lord allowed me to run and gave me the ability to do so. So, I like to use it.”
For him, putting the ball in play opens up possibilities that do not exist otherwise.
“There’s zero hits that have ever happened on a strikeout, so if I can touch the ball on two strikes, I give the team the chance to get a runner on base…”
That mindset allows him to impact the game in multiple ways.
“Maybe I can steal second or maybe it finds the right hole and I hit a double. Touching the baseball gives you a chance to beat something out. It gives you the opportunity to score a runner from third with less than two outs.”
The mental side of the game is something Mangum approaches with consistency and faith.
“Prayer. I live prayer pitch to pitch.”
That foundation has grown stronger as he has spent more time in the game.
“The older I get the more I learn like He hits me in the top of the head like I believe there’s a God. I wholeheartedly believe that all good things come from Him.”
No matter the situation, Mangum leans on that perspective.
“I, genuinely, am out there just like ‘Lord, help me this pitch.’ If something is hurting, like ‘Lord, hold me together for one more pitch.’ If something is going well, I am thanking Him.”
When asked what kind of player the Pirates are getting, Mangum’s answer stayed true to who he is.
“I can’t promise you much, but I can promise you I am going to work as hard as I possibly can to be the best player I can be to help the team win.”
That approach fits cleanly into what Pittsburgh is trying to build as the organization continues to move forward.
