{"id":679533,"date":"2026-04-20T01:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T01:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/679533\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T01:42:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T01:42:21","slug":"jake-mangum-former-mississippi-state-of-shares-adorable-moment-with-young-pirates-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/679533\/","title":{"rendered":"Jake Mangum, former Mississippi State OF, shares adorable moment with young Pirates fans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jake Mangum is only in his second season at the Major League level, but he\u2019s already 30 years old, so he\u2019s been around the game for a long while, including his time in the SEC<\/a> at Mississippi State.<\/a><\/p>\n

So, Mangum is well-versed in the fact that it\u2019s the fans who are a very important part of what he gets to do for a living, playing a kids\u2019 game. And on Sunday afternoon, while his Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the Tampa Bay Rays, who just happen to be the team that Mangum made his major-league debut for just last year, it was the Pirates\u2019 starting left fielder who endeared himself to some young kids forever.<\/p>\n

During a break in the action, Mangum just happened to have a baseball in his possession as he noticed a young fan in the stands well beyond the left-field wall who was wearing a Jake Mangum jersey. But Mangum didn\u2019t just acknowledge the fan. He gave that young fan the gift she\u2019ll always remember by gently tossing that baseball up in her direction.<\/p>\n

The MLB social media account captured the tender moment with this post, with a young boy catching Mangum\u2019s toss and then passing the ball along to the girl next to him, who was the one wearing the Pirates\u2019 No. 28 Mangum jersey.<\/p>\n

Apparently, there was a twist to this heartwarming moment that made it even sweeter. About an hour after MLB posted the moment on social media, there came another social media post by this woman, who claimed that the young boy and girl were her niece and nephew.<\/p>\n

Assuming this is true, then the nephew made the nice catch and then made the even kinder gesture of giving the ball to the niece, who had the Mangum jersey on. And if that wasn\u2019t enough of a tear-jerker, then how about the boy and girl embracing in a hug after the ball got to its proper destination.<\/p>\n

My neice and nephew!!! And he DID make their day!!<\/p>\n

\u2014 betsyburgh (@betsy_burgh) April 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Mangum and the upstart Pirates are one of the surprise stories so far in the young season, with a 13-9 record after Sunday afternoon\u2019s victory over the Rays. There\u2019s still a long way to go before we get to October, but here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams in the mix to be holding the World Series trophy this fall: <\/p>\n

\"Cory<\/p>\n

Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.<\/p>\n