Inspirational ex-World Series champion making MLB comeback

One inspirational slugger’s MLB journey is not finished just yet.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Friday that veteran first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini has agreed to sign a minor-league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mancini is also receiving an invite to MLB Spring Training, Passan writes.

The 32-year-old Mancini, a righty hitter, had his most notable stint on the Baltimore Orioles. After being named an AL Rookie of the Year finalist in 2017 and hitting 35 home runs and 97 RBIs in 2019, Mancini was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2020 and missed the entire 2020 MLB season as a result. But after completing chemotherapy, Mancini announced that he was cancer-free ahead of the 2021 MLB season and returned to play for the Orioles that year in what was a truly incredible scene.

Mancini produced 21 home runs and 71 RBIs in 147 games for Baltimore in 2021, winning AL Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts. He was then eventually traded to the Houston Astros and served as a member of their 2022 team that won the World Series.

After spending the 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs, hitting .234 over 79 games, Mancini went unsigned for all of the 2024 campaign. But now the former eighth-round draft pick is back on the comeback trail with Arizona. With a .775 career OPS, Mancini should add some extra pop to a D-backs team that won 89 games last season but missed the playoffs.