Pirates Take Another Jared Jones in 2025 MLB Draft

The two players do have differing middle names, with the Tigers first baseman named Jared Roger Jones and the Pirates pitcher named Jared Keith Jones.

Jared Roger Jones was born on Aug. 1, 2003 in Marietta, Ga. and his father, George Jones, played football at Georgia Southern, then a Division I-AA school, from 1985-89.

He attended George Walton Comprehensive High School in Marietta where he dominated, slashing .450/.582/.814 for an OPS of 1.396, with 144 hits, 35 home runs and 112 RBIs. Perfect Game also ranked him as the No. 4 catcher in the country in the Class of 2022.

Jared Roger Jones would commit to LSU and had a dominant freshman season in 2023, slashing .304/.426/.640 for an OPS of 1.065 in 55 games, with 49 hits, 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBIs, 67 runs and 36 walks to 69 strikeouts.

He started 47 of those games, with 34 at first base and 13 at designated hitter, helping the Tigers win the 2023 College World Series, along with now Pirates All-Star pitcher Paul Skenes. He also earned Freshman All-SEC and NBCWA Second Team Freshman All-American honors.

Jared Roger Jones spent time with the Brewster White Caps in the Cape Cod League that summer, where he struggled, slashing .190/.299/.293 for an OPS of .592 in 20 games.

He returned as a sophomore in 2024 and improved, slashing .301/.454/.747 for an OPS of 1.201 in 66 games, with 69 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, 28 home runs, 59 RBIs and 59 walks to 76 strikeouts.

His play earned him First-Team ABCA All-South Region honors, as he ranked second in the SEC in walks, fifth in home runs and slugging percentage and ninth in total bases (171).

He also earned and NCAA Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team honors, as he batted .538 (7-for-13), with two home runs and four RBIs.

Jared Roger Jones had another sensational season as a junior in 2025, slashing .323/.414/.613 for an OPS of 1.027 in 68 games, with 90 hits, 15 doubles, 22 home runs, 76 RBIs and 38 walks to 85 strikeouts.

He ranked first in the SEC with RBIs, second in home runs and total bases (171) and third in hits, earning Second Team All-SEC honors.

His great play also continued into the postseason, as he crushed two home runs and added six RBIs, plus hitting an ninth-inning walk-off RBI single against Arkansas, putting them in the finals series.

LSU and Jones won the ninth National Championship and second in three seasons in 2025, taking down Coastal Carolina in three games, as Jones earned College World Series All-Tournament Team honors.

MLB Pipeline has a scouting report of him, "Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 35 | Arm: 65 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45," and ranks him as the No. 101 player in the 2025 draft class.

He also stands 6-foot and 246 pounds and has a slot value pick of $206,100, where the Pirates will hope to sign him soon.

Jared Keith Jones hasn't pitched for the Pirates this season, as he underwent surgery on May 21, addressing his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) sprain in his right elbow that he had from Spring Training, which prevents him from pitching this season.

Pirates fans will hope that they see both Jared Jones playing together at PNC Park in the future, which will surely provide for hilarious name confusions.