“I was mind-blown, to be honest" - Jon Singleton of Milwaukee Brewers returns to the MLB after 8-year hiatus

Although Jon Singleton may not be a household name for MLB fans, the first baseman has forged a path to, and back to the big-leagues that is certainly not a typical one.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eigth round of the 2009 MLB Draft, Singleton spent two seasons in the farm system before being dealt to the Houston Astros in a 2011 trade.

For much of the next decade, Singleton would play in the Astros' farm system. The California native only appeared in 114 games split between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Although he was able to hit 14 home runs and 50 RBIs over that period of time, his MLB batting average failed to exceed .190.

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Corpus Christi Hooks

@cchooks

Jon Singleton hit one a mile at Whataburger Field tonight during Game 2 of the doubleheader. VIDEO:

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Jon Singleton hit one a mile at Whataburger Field tonight during Game 2 of the doubleheader. VIDEO: https://t.co/DFOJcksfcY

"Jon Singleton hit one a mile at Whataburger Field tonight during Game 2 of the doubleheader. VIDEO:" - Corpus Christi Hooks

In 2021, after a brief period playing in Mexico, Jon Singleton signed a minor-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Although he was released in January of 2023, he signed back with the team several weeks later, and was called up to the big leagues after a nearly 8-year hiatus on June 3. Speaking to the media, Singleton stated how the whirlwind roundtrip feels.

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Adam McCalvy

@AdamMcCalvy

“I was mind-blown, to be honest.”

Jon Singleton describes getting the news he was headed back to the big leagues after eight years away.

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“I was mind-blown, to be honest.”

Jon Singleton describes getting the news he was headed back to the big leagues after eight years away. https://t.co/m1JwbgmMey

"“I was mind-blown, to be honest.” Jon Singleton describes getting the news he was headed back to the big leagues after eight years away." - Adam McCalvy

Singleton, now 31, described that he was "mind blown" when he learned that he would be called back up to the MLB. In 49 games in Triple-A this season, the 256 lb vet has hit .258/.384/.483 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs.

With a record of 30-27, the Brewers currently lead the NL Central division over the Pittsburgh Pirates by just one game. In all likelihood, Singleton's long-awaited return to the MLB will come as the Brewers face the Cincinnati Reds on June 3, another bitter divisional foe.

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Jon Singleton's story shows us to never give up

While there have certainly been players with more drastic stories of long-time minor league stints than Jon Singleton, his story provides hope. Grinding it out in the minor leagues is never easy, but at least Singleton continued to be noticed, and ultimately got his shot at glory once again. Hopefully, he will be able to make it count this time, and stay around in the big leagues far longer than he did the first time.

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