Joe Jacques was born on March 11, 1995, in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, under New York City, on the opposite bank. He went to Red Bank Regional High School (RBR) where he played on the “Bucs” (Buccaneers) baseball team, but was also on the basketball and football teams. As a baseball player he split time between starting pitching and at first base during his high school. In his final year he gets First Team All-Division honours, but when he leaves high school he is not offered a college scholarship anywhere.
Joe decides to go to Florida Atlantic and pursue an academic career, but a month before he will enter the university, he has a change of mind and convinces himself that he is able to play college baseball.