One former Red Sox player is paving his way to play overseas. Since 2020, Jeter Downs has found it difficult to play for any single team for a long-term period. Being with the Boston & Worcester Red Sox for around two years, playing just six games for the Nationals in 2022. And yet again, the Yankees releasing Downs clearly explains the young shortstop’s perennial performance struggles. Ahead of the 2024 MLB season, Downs joined the New York Yankees after spending most of the season in minor leagues. 

Still, he was not part of a single game for the MLB Pinstripes aside from playing for the Triple-A (Yankees minor league team). Reason? Despite spending three years in the minor league, his record of .200/.309/.365 and a WRC+ of 80 was well below par. Perhaps, on July 30, after parting his ways with the Bronx Bombers, Downs signed with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks club. Altogether, getting trapped in a roller-coaster of trades and releases, Jeter Downs’s career has been a testimony of uncertainty on the baseball field, with many fans trolling this move online.

A glance at Jeter Down’s major league baseball career

Initially. spending his 2018 season with the Dayton Dragons, Downs had a decent run. In 120 games, he smashed .257 with 13 homers, 47 RBIs, and impressive 37 stolen bases. Further, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his performance was still up the curve as his average increased from .557 to .333 in only 12 games with five home runs. 

Then came Jeter Down’s contract with the Boston Red Sox, where the shortstop struggled in the MLB. Coming in exchange for the veteran Mookie Betts, Downs had to prove his worth. However, playing with the Red Sox, he ended up with a mediocre 1.197 average with only 16 homers and 33 RBI in 81 games. On December 15, 2022, he was designated for assignment from the Red Sox, and joining the Nationals, he had a short play of just six games. 

Eventually, for the New York Yankees, the same old tale continued. After joining the Yankees, Downs was designated to the 40-man roster for Diego Castillo. In January 2024, he was sent to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Despite delivering a 24.8% strikeout and 10.9% walkout rate, Downs failed to make an impact in the minor league leading to his designated assignment. Perhaps, reflecting on the 26-year-old shortstop’s struggles and transfers, fans had their bitter-sweet moments for Downs on the internet. 

Fans sharing their mixed emotions on Down’s recent release from the Yankees

Recalling the 2004 Derek Jeter incident when he sacrificed his own body to take an outstanding catch in the 12th innings, Downs somehow replicated that. The Mets catcher Austin Allen smacked a flying ball into the foul area. However, Jeter Downs, out of nowhere, ran furiously and jumped near the trap, finding himself in the safety nets. Perhaps, while the efforts of Downs slightly paid off, it made the fans remember Derek in that moment. Similarly, comparing Downs to Derek Jeter, a fan fired a few words for the 26-year-old shortstop. 

In almost all of the baseball clubs in Japan, players speak their native language. A prime example would be the Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. For almost all of his press conferences, Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippi Mizuhara, used to accompany him. It wasn’t until a few years ago that he started speaking English at a few of his conferences, the New Balance cleats launch event being a recent example. Ultimately, for a player who isn’t from Japan, another fan insisted Downs for learning Japanese. 

Jeter Downs also had a short stint for the Washington Nationals. He played six games for the Nationals and went 2-for-5 with one RBI, two stolen bases, and four walkouts. However, despite a mediocre performance, one user still appreciated his time and efforts with the Nationals. 

Jeter Downs’s recent career stats have not been impressive. Especially in 2023 for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, he averaged just .400, 11.067 OPS, and zero homers in the entire season. Highlighting this, a baseball fan was clearly unhappy with Downs’s past performance as they shared joy over his shift from the Yankees.

However, aside from criticism from some of the fans, joining Fukuoka Softbank Hawks might be fruitful for Downs. In the Nippon Professional Baseball League, the Hawks are known as one of the most successful franchises. The team won 11 Japan Series Championships between 2011 and 2020. Hence, welcoming him to a superstar club, another commenter greeted Jeter Downs wholeheartedly. 

As for the current scenario, Jeter Downs didn’t have many opportunities to play at the big league level. Despite having a few games with the Red Sox and Nationals, he struggled to leave an impact in the big league. However, even if things have not worked out for him, being just 26 years old, he’s still a young prospect. The Cardinal’s top player, Erick Fedde, also struggled in the Big leagues earlier in his career but performed exceptionally well in the South Korean league. So, hopefully, Downs could replicate a similar performance for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. And this could prepare him for a blockbuster comeback in the elusive major league baseball, once again.