YOUNG CONTINUES HIS CLIMB
After the busiest, most intense season of his professional baseball life, Jared Young is back home in Prince George taking a much-deserved breather.
Young was surrounded by elite company the past two months playing in the six-team Arizona Fall League along with 179 other minor pro players considered top prospects for Major League Baseball.
He played first base for the Mesa Solar Sox, a team chosen from the Chicago Cubs, Oakland A's, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels, and they just finished a 30-game schedule which ended Oct. 26. His AFL stint came right after he played 123 games of a 140-game season in the double-A Southern League with the Tennessee Smokies.
“It was a lot of games, a lot of travel and I loved every minute of it but I'm happy to be home relaxing now,” said the 24-year-old Young. “It ended up being quite a lot of baseball and it was so much fun, but I definitely have to take some time and recoup my body a little bit.”
Facing pitchers making a push for the majors, Young played 14 games for the Solar Sox and finished with a .196 batting average with nine hits, two doubles, a home run and four RBI. His best day at the plate was on Oct. 10, when he hit 3-for-4 with a double against the Salt River Rafters, while his mom and other family members from Prince George watched from the stands.
On Oct. 20 in a game against the Peoria Javelinas Young belted a solo shot over the wall, connecting on a pitch from Houston Astros top prospect Forrest Whitley.
“It was an awesome time, it couldn't be a better group of guys that I ended up getting out together with,” said Young. “That always makes it fun, and what a group of ball players. I had six teammates from the Cubs and 25 or so other teammates that fit together nicely.
“I was really proud I could be part of that league. I'm not too worried about numbers and stuff like that but I do wish I'd done a little bit better and it's something I'll learn from and take into next year. I'm proud of what I did and I'll get back at it next year.”
After a stellar 2018 in which he was chosen the Cubs minor league player of the year Young was promoted to the Southern League with the Smokies, based in Knoxville, Tenn. Playing mostly at first base and sometimes in the outfield, he had 455 at-bats and hit .235 with five home runs, 21 doubles, a triple and 57 RBI with 33 walks and scored 44 runs. His bat heated up in the final month and he batted .276 in his last 10 games, including two doubles, a home run and six walks.