DETROIT — Detroit Tigers outfielder Jahmai Jones made a strong first impression in his World Baseball Classic debut Thursday, blasting a home run to help Korea to an early Pool Play win over the Czech Republic
It was a fitting introduction to a country and a fanbase for whom he actually did need a bit of an introduction.
Jones said he was flooded with friendly messages after being selected for Team Korea, but a common one was something along the lines of: Wait, you’re Korean?
Jones, 28, is one of five children of Michele and Andre Jones. Andre, a former Notre Dame football standout who played one season for the Detroit Lions in 1992, died in 2011 from a brain aneurysm at age 42. Michele, born in South Korea, suddenly found herself a widow raising a large family.
Knowing how much it would mean to his mother, Jones set a goal: earn a spot on Korea’s WBC roster.
He told his agency, which contacted Korean officials, who in turn worked through MLB. The Tigers also helped by promoting him as a potential candidate. His excellent 2025 season — a .937 OPS (157 OPS+) in 150 plate appearances — didn’t hurt either.
Jones felt optimistic, but he was in suspense until the final rosters were unveiled on MLB Network.
“My wife and I were going crazy. My family was FaceTiming during it, and it was just a really cool moment to kind of share with my family,” he said.
A former top prospect drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the second round in 2015, Jones bounced around the league, playing for four teams before signing a minor-league deal with the Tigers ahead of the 2025 season. He opened the year at Triple-A Toledo before earning a June call-up and carving out a valuable niche as a lefty-mashing specialist.
He’s likely to fill a similar role in 2026, though the potential arrival of top prospect Kevin McGonigle could complicate the roster puzzle. Jones is out of minor-league options and would have to clear waivers to be sent down.
But Jones is accustomed to fighting for a job, so his performance in 2025 doesn’t give him complacency.
“Oddly enough, it doesn’t feel different. It kind of feels the same as last year,” he said. “The job stays the same. I’ve still got to put together a good camp and a good showing. What I was able to do last year to help the team, it was huge. I learned a lot. I don’t feel as foreign in this locker room as I did coming in last year. But I’ve still got to go out there and bust my tail and do what I need to do.”
First comes the WBC. His family — including his mother — traveled with him to Tokyo for Pool Play and were in the stands Thursday to see his home run.
“It’s probably one of the single most important things I’ve done in baseball, truthfully,” he said last month. “I love my mom to death. We’ve been through a lot as a family, and being able to do this for her, to be able to represent a country, it means everything to me. I don’t know if I understand the weight of it yet, and I probably won’t until I get there.”