veteran, defense-first catcher with local roots and proven steadiness
In the 2025 season, Jackson Owen was mostly a depth piece for Mississippi State, but the pull is his defense-heavy profile: he was the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year and a Rawlings Gold Glove recipient at Northeast Mississippi CC, and Mississippi State’s roster note also credits him with strong high-school production and recognition as a top catcher in Mississippi. He’s a right-handed, 5-10, 200-pound catcher who brings experience, toughness, and a local Starkville connection; after briefly entering the portal in 2025, he returned, which suggests a fit for teams valuing maturity, catch-and-throw reliability, and clubhouse glue over loud offensive numbers.
