Former Angels first baseman Jared Walsh is chasing an unlikely MLB comeback

Jared Walsh had no business getting to the big leagues. A 39th-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft -- a round that is now defunct -- the University of Georgia alum joined the Los Angeles Angels as a pure lottery ticket. His career started slowly, but by 2018, he had blasted 29 home runs between three levels and emerged as a legitimate prospect.

It was in 2019 that his stock really skyrocketed, as he hit 36 home runs in 98 Triple-A games, leading to a 1.109 OPS. That not only earned him his MLB debut later that season, but also the Angles Minor-League Hitter of the Year award from MLB Pipeline.

He had a windy road in the majors from that point forward, but he hasn't played in the big leagues since 2024 after the Texas Rangers cut him loose. A one-time All-Star in 2021, it looked as though his career was on life support.

However, he's beating the odds again, this time in the Mexican League. The starting first baseman for Charros de Jalisco -- a team managed by former Angels pitcher Benji Gil, who won the 2002 World Series in Anaheim -- Walsh has a .999 OPS through 88 games and might be setting himself up for an incredible comeback story.

Jared Walsh, comeback extraordinaire, is crushing it in the Mexican League

As impressive as Walsh's international performance has been -- he's hitting .333 while getting on base at a 43% clip -- there's a reason you don't hear about many teams signing players from the Mexican League. It's a talented organization with tons of former MLB players, but it's considered a step below the quality that you'll fine in the NPB (Japan) or KBO (Korea).

So, perhaps that'll be the next step on his journey. Now 33 years old, he didn't play baseball at last year, taking the 2025 season off. It's only natural that he opted to get his career going again by playing in a North American league, waiting to see if he still had it what takes to succeed against pro competition.

Of course, whatever comes next in this chapter of his life is secondary to the incredible efforts he's already made to continue being a professional athlete. He famously missed time in 2023 due to neurological issues, including vertigo, tremors, and a lack of spatial awareness. Those ailments effectively sapped the juice from his career, as he followed up his All-Star campaign in 2021 with three consecutive seasons where he produced negative WAR.

That he came back at all after that is an inspiring tale, and it's why we shouldn't doubt Walsh this time around. His All-Star ceiling is likely behind him, but he might just be one more stop away before a MLB team gives him another shot.

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