Jon Jay, American baseball player
Jonathan Henry Jay (born March 15, 1985) is an American professional baseball center fielder who is currently a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Angels.
A product of the University of Miami, Jay played college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes. He was the Cardinals’ second (of three) second-round selection(s) (74th overall), in the 2006 MLB draft. Through the end of the 2020 season, Jon Jay has the third highest modern-day career fielding percentage for a center fielder at .996, behind only Darin Erstad and Shane Victorino.Jay made his big league debut for the Cardinals in 2010, after batting .301, with 34 home runs (HR), an .803 on-base plus slugging percentage (OBP), and 61 stolen bases (SB), in 409 minor league games. The starting center fielder for four consecutive National League Championship Series (NLCS)-qualifying clubs as a Cardinal (2011−14), he was a World Series champion in 2011, as the Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers. Between 2011 and 2013, Jay established an errorless record streak for National League (NL) center fielders at 245 games. In 2012, he finished tenth in the NL in both batting average and on-base percentage (OBP).
After wrist injuries limited Jay’s effectiveness in 2015, he was traded to the Padres. Always active in the community, Jay has hosted celebrity bowling tournaments for charity. He signed a one-year US$4M contract to play the 2019 season with the Chicago White Sox.