david hall, the virginian-pilot
·4 min read
NORFOLK — Eight years into his professional career, Jared Young is playing for his seventh minor league team, including an autumn spent in the prestigious Arizona Fall League.
The Memphis Redbirds infielder/outfielder and former Old Dominion star has played in 603 minor league games at five levels, honing skills that first became fully apparent during one glorious season with the Monarchs.
But 22 major league games over parts of two seasons with the Chicago Cubs are really what keep the 28-year-old Canadian going.
Young, back in town to face the Norfolk Tides this week, said even a brief taste of the game’s highest level provides no shortage of motivation.
“Every bit of it,” he said. “Every day up there was special, and you want to do it for the rest of your career. So yeah, it’s a pretty good driving force.”
The 6-foot, 200-pound Young, a second baseman at ODU, has played third base, first base, left field, right field and DH this season for Memphis, the St. Louis Cardinals’ top affiliate.
After resting for Thursday’s matinee at Harbor Park, Young is batting .261 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs through 50 games, drawing 30 walks against just 31 strikeouts.
Appearing for the Cubs in 2022 and ’23, Young hit .210 with a pair of homers and eight RBIs. A left-handed bat with 78 career professional home runs, Young has a clear path back to the majors from just one step away.
“Just be consistent with the bat,” said Memphis manager Ben Johnson, who played in 98 big league games with the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. “Continue to sharpen his defensive skills, and he takes it serious. Right now, I think he’s in a tough spot. He’s swinging the bat really well, but we’re left-handed bat-heavy on our major league club. So he’s one of those players. If he just continues to persevere, he’s going to find an opportunity.”
Young’s first big break came at ODU, where he spent his junior season in 2017 after stints at Connors State Community College in Oklahoma and Division II Minot (North Dakota) State.
Playing with the Monarchs under longtime coach Chris Finwood, Young led the team in 11 offensive categories, including average (.367), triples (four), homers (seven), runs (57), stolen bases (nine) and OPS (1.021).
He became ODU’s first All-American since Ben Verlander in 2013 and was selected by the Cubs in the 15th round of the 2017 draft.
Thus began a gradual climb up every rung of Chicago’s minor league system, culminating with a pair of shots in the big leagues.
The Cardinals claimed Young off waivers in November, and he was assigned outright to Memphis in March.
But he said none of it would’ve happened if not for how that one season at ODU changed his life.
“I would say exponentially,” Young said this week after taking batting practice and some ground balls at third base. “It was probably the biggest impact on my baseball career.
“I don’t think I’d be here today if it wasn’t for Old Dominion.”
Staying in pro ball, though, requires sustained success. A career .268 hitter in the minors, Young is what the Cardinals wanted.
“What I love about Jared is that he shows up every day and he plays the game the right way,” Johnson said. “He’s a leader for the young kids. He’s always ready to go. He brings a positive energy. So yes, he can help our big league club because he’s a really good ballplayer. He’s also someone who kind of exemplifies the character that we look for here in St. Louis.”
Before this week, Young hadn’t been to Norfolk since he visited old teammates and worked out at ODU before spring training in 2019. A Phoenix resident who wisely chose baseball over hockey, he’d last played at Harbor Park in 2017, when the Monarchs faced Virginia Tech.
Upon his return this week, the drive into the parking lot felt familiar, as did the ballpark’s dugouts.
To this day, Young credits Finwood for teaching him the importance of playing defense, even calling his former coach a “defensive wizard.”
It started a long journey that has finally led him back to where it all took off.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Young said of his climb through the minors. “I’ve really loved it. It’s been great, and it’s nice to have it kind of come full-circle back to Norfolk.”
David Hall, [email protected].
