We’re a couple games into spring now, and already seen a few highlight performances from the handful of innings that each player has gotten into thus far. Aaron Judge stole the show in the home opener with a two-homer showcase, but right before the Captain went off we got a glimpse of Judge’s potential protege going deep for the first time this year too. Spencer Jones launched one out to right field on Saturday, displaying the power that so many have been captivated by… and he also struck out twice, underscoring the primary concern scouts have had with his development.
This season figures to be a critical one for Jones’ future as a Yankee. Many of the cards are out of his control, namely the packed Yankee outfield that is set to get consistent playing time that doesn’t even include Jasson Domínguez as a regular yet. Jones would be next in line afterwards, meaning that unless the injury bug strikes particularly hard or Jones goes on a season-long scorcher to force their hand, he probably isn’t seeing much time on the major league roster.
With that in mind, unless the Yankees swing a trade involving him he’ll have a full season in Triple-A to develop his power further and work on the big swing and miss flaws in his game. So what should we expect from the outfielder entering his age-25 season? He took a major leap last year, jumping his OPS up from .789 in Double-A in 2024 to a .932 mark split between Double-A and Triple-A. The power skyrocketed, going from 17 long balls to 35, and the notorious strikeouts continued to pile up as he whiffed 179 times in 438 plate appearances compared to 200 times in 482 PAs.
Jones is one of the most volatile prospects to project that the Yankees have had in a while. His ceiling could genuinely be a left-handed version of the Captain’s prowess in the box, but his floor could be a bat with pop that cannot convert on it because he struggles too much to make any contact. Will he take another leap and fill out the holes in his swing, especially given that he’s made changes to his stance already? Will we see more of the same from Jones, talent to be tapped into with enough frustrating flaws to hold him back? Will the Yankees even be the ones to see how it all pans out, or will they ship him out for other needs somewhere midseason? What’s your take on the Yankees’ biggest bat down in the minors?
Today on the site, we’ve got a double-feature for Josh leading off with a birthday tribute to Elston Howard and his legacy with the franchise as a barrier-breaking great before kicking off our team previews with a look at the lowly Rockies out west. In-between we’ve got Sam giving us a preview of the funky lefty in the bullpen, Tim Hill, and then after the exhibition game I’ll be back to open up this week’s mailbag for questions.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Video: Gotham Sports App, SportsNet-PIT
Venue: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL