Jake Elmore

Proving that versatility is a valued asset by major league teams, Jake Elmore spent parts of six seasons in the bigs, starting games at every position save pitcher and catcher, but he even played at those spots. In fact, Elmore pitched and caught in the same game on August 19, 2013 for the Houston Astros. He entered the game in the third inning behind the plate when catcher Carlos Corporan left with concussion-like symptoms after being hit by a foul tip. With the Astros trailing Texas, 16-5, in the eighth inning, Elmore came on to pitch for Houston and retired all three batters he faced.

Jacob David Elmore was born in Dothan, Alabama but after moving, attended Pleasant Grove High School, just outside Birmingham. Elmore graduated in 2005, having been named to the Alabama Class 5A All-State football team as a defensive back, and was named to the All-State baseball team as well. Elmore attended Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama for two years before transferring to Arizona State University. After electing not to sign with the Florida Marlins after being drafted in 2007, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being picked in the 34^th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur draft.

Elmore played five seasons in the D-Backs’ organization before getting called up to Arizona in 2012, where he played the last two months of the season. Elmore batted .191/.247/.250 and was released after the season and was signed by Houston.

The utility player split time between the minors and bigs over the next three years, playing for Houston (2013), Cincinnati (2014), and Tampa Bay (2015) before signing with Milwaukee after the 2015 campaign.

Elmore played all three outfield spots, plus second base and third base for the Brewers in 2016. He split the season between Triple-A Colorado Springs and Milwaukee, playing roughly 50 games for each team. He was called up in late June and played the rest of the season for the Brewers and batted .218/.371/.244 across 99 plate appearances, drawing walks at a 17% clip.

After the season, Elmore elected free agency and over the next three seasons, played in the minors for Toronto, Miami, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh before getting into 20 games in two stints during the 2019 season with Pittsburgh. Once again, he was granted free agency and although he signed with Pittsburgh (again), Cleveland, and Philadelphia, he did not appear in the big leagues again.

In February 2022, Elmore was hired by the Phillies to serve as hitting coach at Low-A Clearwater. Over the next two seasons, he was promoted to minor league lower level hitting coordinator for the Phillies and then minor league hitting coordinator.