Jahmai Jones is the newest member of the Boston Red Sox.
They traded for him from the Detroit Tigers to bring aboard a right-handed bat that can hit well against left-handed pitching, and the hope will be that he can hold down that platoon role well.
Jones' journey has been a wandering one. It took him a long time to break through in the majors after being a top-100 prospect with the Angels, and he played for a handful of teams before this.
Late in 2024 and throughout 2025, though, he showed with the Tigers that he can mash against lefty pitching.
This season, Jones struggled, which contributed to his being available in a trade.
Now, he brings intrigue, along with a special family history, to the Red Sox.
Jones played for South Korea at the World Baseball Classic, and he's also got NFL genes.
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Jahmai Jones family
Jones represented Korea at the WBC thanks to his mother.
His mother, Michele, was born in South Korea, according to The Athletic.
Jones' father Andre, a former NFL player, died when he was 42, and when Jahmai was 13.
Michele raised six children on her own from there.
“A lot of people can sympathize, but it’s hard to empathize until you go through it,” Jones told The Athletic. “To go through it at such a young age, with so many kids and watching her not miss a beat, it really made me understand a lot more about my mom, without even having to talk to her, about how strong she is, what she’s able to endure, what she can do on a daily basis.”
Jones is proud to continue representing his mother.
“She tried to make sure every single day we knew we were taken care of,” Jones told The Athletic before the WBC. “We knew we were loved. We were able to do anything we put our minds to. I think from that aspect growing up, to be able to do something like that for her, I don’t want to get emotional, but it’s a big deal.”
Jones now puts on a Red Sox uniform in the hopes of helping a second-half surge. His family will be rooting him on.
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