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Heading into the 2026 MLB campaign, things were getting very dicey for New York Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones.
Jones was slated to turn 25 years old in May, and he still had not made his big-league debut in spite of being perpetually hyped.
It seemed pretty clear that the Yankees were prioritizing Jasson Dominguez over him, and with Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger also on the roster, a path to the majors seemed almost hopeless for the hulking 6-foot-7, 240-pound slugger.
But ultimately, New York promoted Jones in early May — just before his 25th birthday. He has been up and down multiple times since then, but now, it looks like he is here to stay.
That is, of course, unless the Yankees move him before Monday's trade deadline.
To be quite frank, Jones is actually making a case for being virtually untouchable between now and then, as he is flashing the gargantuan potential everyone felt he had for years.
Jones has homered in back-to-back games, and both long balls came off of left-handed pitchers. You know, the types of pitchers Aaron Boone refused to allow Jones to face previously. In fact, his home run on Saturday night was an opposite field jack.
New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.
The former top prospect now has five dingers on the year. His OPS has quietly climbed to a respectable .773. Yes, strikeouts are still an issue for him, but he has compensated for that with an 11.9 percent walk rate.
Jones still has a long way to go. There are times where he looks wildly uncomfortable at the plate, namely because of his incredibly long swing. But there are also times when you see the 40-homer potential everyone had been discussing.
It's not just the home runs, either. Jones possesses tremendous speed, and his athleticism — not to mention his ridiculously long strides — should make him an asset defensively.
Unlike Dominguez, Jones can play center field, which could be key to the Vanderbilt product sticking around. Judge and Bellinger aren't going anywhere in the corners. Trent Grisham, however, is headed toward free agency again, and this time, you kind of get the feeling that the Yankees will allow him to bounce.
Why? Not just because of the potential cost, but because Jones could very well be their center fielder of the future.
Jones has been rumored to be available with the deadline looming. There is no question that his prodigious power and unique athletic ability gives him serious value.
But short of a trade that would absolutely reshape New York (and I don't think there will be one like that available), the Yankees should keep Jones under wraps and allow him to play out the rest of 2026 with the major-league squad.
Continue reading...
Jones was slated to turn 25 years old in May, and he still had not made his big-league debut in spite of being perpetually hyped.
It seemed pretty clear that the Yankees were prioritizing Jasson Dominguez over him, and with Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger also on the roster, a path to the majors seemed almost hopeless for the hulking 6-foot-7, 240-pound slugger.
But ultimately, New York promoted Jones in early May — just before his 25th birthday. He has been up and down multiple times since then, but now, it looks like he is here to stay.
That is, of course, unless the Yankees move him before Monday's trade deadline.
To be quite frank, Jones is actually making a case for being virtually untouchable between now and then, as he is flashing the gargantuan potential everyone felt he had for years.
Jones has homered in back-to-back games, and both long balls came off of left-handed pitchers. You know, the types of pitchers Aaron Boone refused to allow Jones to face previously. In fact, his home run on Saturday night was an opposite field jack.
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New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images.
The former top prospect now has five dingers on the year. His OPS has quietly climbed to a respectable .773. Yes, strikeouts are still an issue for him, but he has compensated for that with an 11.9 percent walk rate.
Jones still has a long way to go. There are times where he looks wildly uncomfortable at the plate, namely because of his incredibly long swing. But there are also times when you see the 40-homer potential everyone had been discussing.
It's not just the home runs, either. Jones possesses tremendous speed, and his athleticism — not to mention his ridiculously long strides — should make him an asset defensively.
Unlike Dominguez, Jones can play center field, which could be key to the Vanderbilt product sticking around. Judge and Bellinger aren't going anywhere in the corners. Trent Grisham, however, is headed toward free agency again, and this time, you kind of get the feeling that the Yankees will allow him to bounce.
Why? Not just because of the potential cost, but because Jones could very well be their center fielder of the future.
Jones has been rumored to be available with the deadline looming. There is no question that his prodigious power and unique athletic ability gives him serious value.
But short of a trade that would absolutely reshape New York (and I don't think there will be one like that available), the Yankees should keep Jones under wraps and allow him to play out the rest of 2026 with the major-league squad.
Continue reading...
