TAMPA, Fla. — The potential the New York Yankees see in Spencer Jones, the towering prime prospect who reminds a lot of a sure large outfielder, was apparent within the first and final swings he took throughout his time in main league camp this spring.
The primary, within the Yankees’ exhibition opener on Feb. 24, produced a mammoth 470-foot dwelling run. The final, two weeks later, was an inside-out lower on a pitch darting beneath his palms that the left-handed slugger deposited the opposite approach, down the left-field line. He glided into second base for a double.
Large uncooked energy? Test. Elite velocity? Test. Bat-to-ball abilities? Enhancing.
“He is such a presence and such a dynamic athlete,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned after Jones slashed that double. “And in numerous methods he is simply sort of scratching the floor on his baseball profession.”
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That feeling permeates the group, from the clubhouse to the proprietor’s suite. The 6-foot-6 Jones is an uncommon mix of energy, dimension and velocity the staff envisions clubbing dwelling runs over the brief porch at Yankee Stadium and stealing bases deep into October. The Yankees firmly imagine the 22-year-old is a future star. It is why he’s nonetheless within the group.
The Yankees might have made Jones the centerpiece in a significant commerce in current months — even simply this week — to enhance a roster in win-now mode for the 2024 season. However staff brass is so satisfied of Jones’ abilities that he has been deemed nearly untouchable.
In December, the Yankees acquired Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres with out together with Jones within the package deal. Final month, the Milwaukee Brewers despatched former Cy Younger Award winner Corbin Burnes to division rival Baltimore Orioles after the Yankees reportedly refused to incorporate Jones in a deal.
This week, regardless of information that reigning American League Cy Younger winner Gerrit Cole would miss a minimum of the beginning of the season with an elbow harm, the Yankees refused to half with Jones in a commerce for Dylan Stop. The Chicago White Sox as an alternative shipped Stop to the Padres on Wednesday.
Beginning pitching stays the Yankees’ greatest concern heading into Opening Day. Transferring Jones, who is not anticipated to contribute to the massive league staff this season, might have helped handle it. The Yankees would not budge.
“It is cool to be held in that sense, or that regard,” Jones mentioned. “Like my buddies from again dwelling which can be massive baseball followers, they will ship me all of the stuff as a result of I am not seeing it.”
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The Yankees re-assigned Jones to minor league camp earlier this month, and he’s anticipated to start the season in Double-A. He is on the Yankees’ Spring Breakout roster for an all-prospects showcase on Saturday in opposition to the Toronto Blue Jays.
However the Yankees undertaking him within the Bronx by 2025, stationed in middle area for years to come back. That will require him dwelling as much as the hype.
Jones batted .267 with 16 dwelling runs and 43 steals in 117 video games — together with 101 begins in middle area — between Excessive-A and Double-A in his first full skilled season. He struck out 155 instances, and the 16 dwelling runs had been a bit underwhelming for somebody along with his energy. However the efficiency nonetheless raised expectations.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel lately listed Jones as baseball’s 56th-best prospect. Final month, Yankees proprietor Hal Steinbrenner named Jones as certainly one of three prospects, together with pitchers Will Warren and Chase Hampton, he’s “hesitant to surrender.”
“Plus run and energy on an incredible body,” one rival scout mentioned. “However, with that massive body and energy, comes some general stiffness. The swing is of course on the longer aspect, however he does have sufficient bat velocity to present him an opportunity.”
The similarities between Jones and Aaron Choose are onerous to disregard. There’s the irregular peak for baseball gamers — Choose is 6-7, simply an inch taller than Jones. Each, regardless of their dimension, can comfortably patrol middle area. Each have large energy. Each had been Yankees first-round picks out of school.
There are variations. For one, Jones each throws and hits left-handed. Secondly, he boasts elite velocity. Choose famous that Jones was up there with shortstop Anthony Volpe because the quickest Yankees in camp.
After all, Choose has grown into certainly one of baseball’s most efficient energy hitters in current historical past, whereas Jones remains to be attempting to show his instruments into constant manufacturing.
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“I do know this sounds hyperbolic, however Jones has louder instruments than Choose,” one other rival scout mentioned. “Jones is only a freak of nature.”
Then there’s the truth that Jones, not like Choose, is seen by the Yankees as an on a regular basis middle fielder from Day 1 as a significant leaguer. That alone can be a feat, contemplating the skinny historical past of exceptionally tall guys at that place.
Solely 11 gamers 6-6 or taller have ever performed the place within the main leagues. Choose, the Yankees’ middle fielder this season, simply so occurs to be certainly one of them.
“I feel it is unfair for him to be in comparison with anyone as a result of he is so distinctive,” Choose mentioned. “He is such a distinct hitter than me. I feel he is a distinct athlete than me. Like he is distinctive, man. I want I had that velocity.”
Jones targeted on hitting as a star at La Costa Canyon Excessive College exterior San Diego. Then, close to the tip of his highschool profession, he turned a two-way participant. In six months, he mentioned, his fastball jumped from 86 to 94 mph. A 6-6 highschool southpaw throwing 94 mph? Scouts salivated.
“We might have scout conferences my senior 12 months of highschool and they might all speak to me as if I used to be a pitcher,” Jones mentioned. “And I truthfully did not like that that a lot. As a result of I used to be like pitching was one factor I did, however I actually preferred to hit.”
Spencer’s ascent hit a snag when he fractured his elbow throwing a curveball throughout a recreation in his senior 12 months. Main league golf equipment, because of this, weren’t keen to satisfy his bonus value. He sank all the way in which to the thirty first spherical within the 2019 MLB draft, the place he was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels. As a substitute, he went to Vanderbilt.
He was given three gloves when he arrived in Nashville — one for pitching and one for the outfield, plus a primary baseman’s mitt. He started as a primary baseman in 2020, however he could not make fundamental throws. He had the yips.
“I simply by no means rehabbed [my arm] proper,” Jones mentioned. “It was a easy rehab, there was just a few miscommunication.”
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COVID shortened the 2020 season, which allowed Jones to correctly rehab the arm. He resumed pitching that summer time however tore his ulnar collateral ligament and underwent Tommy John surgical procedure. That was it for him on the mound.
“I used to be at all times extra of a thrower than I used to be a pitcher,” Jones mentioned. “Nevertheless it was sort of an id disaster. I did not know what I used to be going to be higher at. After the UCL, it was like, ‘All proper, let’s put all our eggs within the hitting basket. We’re not going to pitch anymore.'”
After DHing his sophomore season, he requested to maneuver to the outfield as a junior to, as he put it, “lengthen out my arm once more.” As soon as they noticed him there, he stayed — and took off.
Jones hit .370 with 12 dwelling runs, 14 steals and a 1.103 OPS in 61 video games as Vanderbilt’s on a regular basis proper fielder. It was his first full wholesome season targeted solely on hitting since his junior 12 months of highschool. The breakout prompted the Yankees to pick him with the twenty fifth decide within the 2022 MLB draft and pay him a $2,880,800 bonus.
Lower than two years later, Jones was mashing baseballs and turning heads in massive league camp.
“Spectacular was the primary phrase that involves thoughts,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson mentioned.
It took one swing for Jones to point out why the hoopla surrounding him exists. Baseballs smashed 470 toes are uncommon. Middle fielders that tall — and quick — are rarer. The Yankees are betting that is only the start.
“I really feel I am nonetheless growing as a hitter,” Jones mentioned. “There’s nonetheless 1,000,000 issues I can be taught. I am not set in my methods. I am solely 22 years outdated.”
