Alex Jackson Bio
Alexander James Jackson (born December 25, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher and outfielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). A former top overall prospect, he has spent parts of seven MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and the Twins, where he was most recently acquired in a November 2025 trade. Jackson first reached the majors in 2019 after being selected sixth overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2014 MLB Draft.
Early Life and Background
Alexander James Jackson was born on December 25, 1995, in San Diego County, California. He grew up in the San Diego area, where he attended Rancho Bernardo High School and quickly emerged as one of the most highly regarded amateur players in the country. He played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field in both 2012 and 2013, gaining national visibility against many of the top high school players in the nation.
As a junior at Rancho Bernardo, Jackson was ranked by MaxPreps as the best high school prospect in the 2014 class and was named their Junior of the Year. He verbally committed to the University of Oregon in March 2013 before ultimately choosing professional baseball. As a senior, he tied John Drennen for the most career home runs in the San Diego section with 47, and he closed his high school career by winning Baseball America’s High School Player of the Year Award.
Path to Baseball
Jackson entered the 2014 MLB Draft as the consensus top high school hitter in his class, and the Seattle Mariners selected him with the sixth overall pick in the first round. He signed with the Mariners on June 23, 2014, forgoing his commitment to Oregon, and was assigned to the AZL Mariners for his first professional season. In 23 games at the rookie level, he slashed .280/.344/.476 with two home runs and 16 RBIs, offering an early look at the power that had defined his amateur profile.
He began 2015 with the Clinton LumberKings of the Midwest League, where he struggled early, batting .157 with no home runs and 35 strikeouts in 28 games before being returned to extended spring training. When the short-season Northwest League began in June, the Mariners assigned him to the Everett AquaSox, and he steadied himself with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 48 games. In 2016, Jackson returned to Clinton, where he batted .243 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs in 92 games, refining his approach as a catcher and corner outfielder.
Alex Jackson Career
Early Career (2014-2018)
Jackson spent his first three professional seasons in the Seattle Mariners organization, working his way through the rookie and Class-A levels while learning the demands of catching and playing the outfield. On November 28, 2016, the Mariners traded him and pitcher Tyler Pike to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Rob Whalen and Max Povse, handing Jackson a fresh start in a new system. He opened 2017 with the Florida Fire Frogs of the Florida State League before earning a midseason promotion to the Double-A Mississippi Braves.
Across both affiliates in 2017, Jackson hit .267/.328/.480 with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs in 96 games, showing the kind of right-handed power that had made him a top draft pick. The Atlanta Braves added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft and setting the stage for his arrival in the major leagues.
Atlanta Braves Breakthrough (2019-2021)
The Braves promoted Jackson to the major leagues on April 7, 2019, and he made his MLB debut that afternoon. Across his first two seasons in Atlanta, he appeared in a limited role, including a 2020 campaign shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic in which he received just seven at-bats but recorded his first two major league hits. He continued to split his time between Triple-A Gwinnett and the big leagues, refining his swing while the Braves developed their young core.
In 2021, Jackson was placed on the 60-day injured list on June 24 with a strained left hamstring and was reinstated on July 21. On July 30, 2021, the Braves traded him to the Miami Marlins in exchange for outfielder Adam Duvall, closing his longest tenure with a single organization. With Atlanta, he had established himself as a depth option behind the plate and in right field, while showing occasional flashes of the power that had defined his prospect profile.
Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers (2021-2022)
Jackson’s time with the Miami Marlins was brief, as he finished the 2021 season in the organization before being moved again. On April 6, 2022, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Hayden Cantrelle and Alexis Ramirez. With Milwaukee, Jackson went 3-for-12 (.250) in five games while spending the bulk of the year at Triple-A Nashville. His season ended early when he was placed on the injured list on August 27 with left wrist inflammation, and on December 2 he was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Nashville.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2023-2024)
On August 1, 2023, Jackson was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitcher Evan McKendry. In 14 games for the Triple-A Durham Bulls, he batted .281/.305/.561 with four home runs and 10 RBI before electing free agency on November 7. He re-signed with the Rays on a minor league contract the following day and returned to Durham to open 2024, hitting .282 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 22 games.
The Rays selected his contract on May 3, 2024, adding him back to the major league roster. In 58 games for Tampa Bay, he slashed .122/.201/.237 with three home runs and 12 RBI before being designated for assignment on September 5. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Durham on September 7, then elected free agency on October 1.
Baltimore Orioles Era (2025)
On July 6, 2025, Jackson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for international bonus pool space and a player to be named later or cash, and Baltimore selected his contract to add him to the active roster. He was the sixth catcher used by the Orioles during the 2025 season, moving between catching and outfield duties. On August 3, he, Jeremiah Jackson, and Jackson Holliday combined to retire Carson Kelly at home plate to end the first inning of a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, marking the first time in MLB’s Modern Era (since 1900) that a team started at least three players whose given name or surname was Jackson.
Through August 10, Jackson had played in 18 games for the Orioles and had 10 hits, all of them for extra bases, with seven doubles and three home runs. The 10 consecutive extra-base hits to begin a career with a team set a modern-day record for any player with a new team, and he broke the streak with a pair of singles on August 22. For the 2025 season with Baltimore, he played in 36 games and slashed .220/.290/.473 with five home runs and eight RBI before moving on.
Minnesota Twins Era (2025-Present)
On November 21, 2025, Jackson was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Payton Eeles, returning him to the American League. The move reunited him with an organization looking for catching and corner-outfield depth, and he joined the Twins roster heading into the next chapter of his career. His combination of right-handed power and positional flexibility has made him a useful depth piece for a contender.
Notable Events and Milestones
Jackson’s signature stretch came with the Baltimore Orioles in 2025, when he became part of the first trio of players named Jackson to start a game in the Modern Era and set a modern-day record with 10 consecutive extra-base hits to begin a career with a new team. Earlier in his career, he had been the sixth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and a Baseball America High School Player of the Year, underscoring the long road from elite prospect to journeyman big leaguer.
Alex Jackson Career Wins
Across his time in the majors, Alexander James Jackson has carved out a role as a power-hitting depth option at catcher and in the outfield rather than as a top-of-the-lineup regular. While he has not collected major individual awards, his career has been defined by timely home runs, extra-base contact, and the ability to contribute at multiple positions for playoff-contending clubs.
MLB Highlights
Jackson recorded his first two major league hits during the shortened 2020 season with the Atlanta Braves, opening his account after a long climb through the minors. In 2024 with the Tampa Bay Rays, he added three more home runs in 58 games, and in 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles he hit five home runs in 36 games while delivering a record-setting run of extra-base hits. His most recent big-league appearance came after being acquired by the Minnesota Twins in November 2025.
Alex Jackson Family
Personal Life
Alexander James Jackson was born in San Diego County, California, and grew up in the area while attending Rancho Bernardo High School. He has built his professional life around the baseball season, moving between organizations since his 2014 draft year.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a busy one for Alex Jackson, beginning with a minor league contract signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization on November 8, 2024. On December 20, 2024, Cincinnati traded him and Fernando Cruz to the New York Yankees in exchange for Jose Trevino. He was released on March 22, 2025, and re-signed the following day, going on to bat .302/.387/.604 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 26 appearances for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders before being released again on June 2 and re-signing on June 3.
After joining the Baltimore Orioles in a July 6 trade, Jackson became a steady contributor, setting the modern record for consecutive extra-base hits to begin a career with a new team and appearing in 36 games overall. His blend of right-handed power and versatility helped stabilize a position group that used six different catchers during the year.
On November 21, 2025, Jackson was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Payton Eeles, ending his Orioles tenure and opening a new chapter in the American League. He is expected to compete for playing time behind the plate and in the corner outfield as the Twins build out their 2026 roster.