LSU Tigers postseason hero and fan favorite waits a long time to hear his name called during 2025 MLB Draft

Jones was often the definition of clutch for the Tigers and was known for his mammoth home runs during his college days. He was actually projected to go somewhere in the top five rounds, but swing and miss could be the main reason he slipped down the board. 

Jones has ranked as one of the best power hitters in the 2022 prep class and one of the top sluggers in the '24 and '25 college crops. He went undrafted as a Georgia high schooler and while sophomore-eligible last July because of concerns about his bat, athleticism and signability. After slugging 64 homers and winning two College World Series in three years at Louisiana State, he could land in the third or fourth round.

The 6-foot-4, 246-pound Jones has plenty of strength and leverage in his right-handed stroke, generating top-of-the-scale raw power and exit velocities. He's doing a better job of understanding that he can hit the ball out of any park from foul pole to foul pole without selling out for home runs. Strikeouts always will be part of his game, but he's employing the opposite field more often and doing more damage against breaking balls.

-- MLB.com

Two players with the same name for Pittsburgh

Jones will join another Jared Jones, a pitcher, with the Pittsburgh system. The already-big leaguer made sure to chime in on the draft pick via social media. 

In the long run, both could be important pieces to any sort of success for the Pirates. The pitcher is projected to be one of the top options in the starting rotation in the coming years for Pittsburgh.