Quick Facts
Biography
Gregory Jones Jr. (born March 7, 1998) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Career
Jones attended Cary High School in Cary, North Carolina. As a senior, he batted .429 with 18 stolen bases. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 17th round of the 2017 MLB draft, but did not sign and instead chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he played college baseball.
In 2018, as a freshman at UNC Wilmington, Jones played and started sixty games, batting .278 with four home runs 21 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League after the season, hitting .242 in 132 at-bats. In 2019, his sophomore year, he hit .341 with five home runs, 36 RBIs, and 42 stolen bases in 63 games, and was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year.
Jones was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft. He signed with the Rays for $3 million. After signing, he was assigned to the Hudson Valley Renegades. Over 48 games, he slashed .335/.413/.461 with one home run, 24 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases.