We have all heard the statement “it’s easier to get a job than to keep a job.”

That phrase is not only true in the day-to-day corporate world, but it’s especially accurate in the world of professional baseball. 

While the Major League Baseball draft has fewer players taken now than a decade ago, the percentage of players who will get to the Major Leagues and remain for extended tenures is few and far between. 

Jahmai Jones Is MLB Journeyman With Promise To Still Fulfill 

One player who has battled to make a roster every year is Jahmai Jones, who is a utility player for the Detroit Tigers. Jones was a second-round draft pick selected at No.70 by the Los Angeles Angels in 2015 and has played for five different Major League teams in his pro career. 

Unlike most top prospects who move through the minor leagues very quickly, Jones developed and added an extra dimension to his game at every level. The Angels liked what they saw, as his numbers were consistent while the competition was improving, prompting the Angels to add him to the 40-man roster and to play in the Arizona Fall League after the 2019 season. 

COVID wiped out the 2020 minor league season, but Jones was a big leaguer by then. He was called up on August 31 and had his first three Major League hits in September of that year. 

In theory, every player has a lengthy career with the team that drafted them, but outside factors can dictate a player’s direction and future. Jones was traded in February 2021 to the Baltimore Orioles, and unfortunately, a slow start combined with an injury led to a short two-season stint in that organization. 

Justin Upton Mentored Jahmai Jones On Mental Aspect Of Game 

Professionalism and knowing how to handle adversity are a big part of staying in the major leagues for an extended period of time. He told pressboxonline.com that Justin Upton is a player who gave him knowledge on how to handle himself.

Jones wouldn’t get back to the Majors until 2023, when he appeared in seven games with the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a point in a player’s career that can be very challenging. No longer considered a prospect but still talented enough to stay on a team’s radar, he has to stay ready. Playing Triple A baseball is a must for a player in that situation, and over a five-year period, he found himself suiting up in cities such as Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and Toledo. 

Jahmai Jones Had His Best Season In 2025

Ten years after getting drafted, the 2025 season was his best as a Major Leaguer. The Roswell, Georgia native had a career high in every offensive category for the Detroit Tigers and hit .287 for the season.

 “I’ve been around a little bit, and I know a lot of these guys. Fall League and even high school,” he said in an interview with the Toledo Mudhens, the Detroit Tigers Triple A affiliate, about being comfortable in the Tigers clubhouse before the start of last season. “It’s a great organization be a part of, and I want to come in and help this team win.” 

True to his word, Jones helped his team to the playoffs and saw action in both the Wild Card and Division series rounds.

Jones is still just 28 years old and has learned how to stay in a Major League uniform. Every team needs role players, and Jones has adapted to that mindset. He had a fantastic experience in a different uniform this past March. His bloodlines allowed him to qualify for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic.

 “My mom was born in Seoul, and she and her brother got adopted and moved to the U.S. I’m very proud to represent Korea doing what I love,” he told the MLBPA. 

The American League Central is very crowded in mid-May. A healthy Detroit team and a few more key hits by Jones and the Tigers will once again be a contender.