The New York Yankees offense has been down bad in June, but their disappointing lineup could end up getting a jolt later in the season.
Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, could continue his meteoric ascent up the team’s minor-league system after he won Eastern League player of the week while playing for Double-A Somerset.
Jones, a 6-7 and 240-pound outfielder, is tearing up Double-A and could be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre in the not-so-distant future.
The Yankees are still 45-33 and in first place in the American League East by two games over the Tampa Bay Rays. But they are 10-13 in their past 23 games since May 30 and have scored just 31 runs in their past 12 games.
Who Is Spencer Jones?
Spencer Jones is the Yankees’ 2022 first-round draft pick from Vanderbilt, and if you are a fan you probably already know his name.
Jones has participated in the MLB Futures Game in each of the past two seasons. He is an Aaron Judge-comp in terms of physical stature, and he’s had some of the same growing pains as Judge in the minors.
Despite posting 17 homers and 78 RBIs, Jones’ OPS only reached .789 in 2024, and he had 200 strikeouts in 124 games, the most ever by a Yankees prospect in a single season.
But Jones has been putting up more Judgeian numbers in Double-A this year. He is slashing .272/.395/.599 with Somerset and has shown off his tools by posting a 1.513 OPS with five homers, 11 RBIs and 12 runs scored and two stolen bases over the past 10 games, which earned him player-of-the-week honors.
Jones’ .994 OPS leads all Double-A players, and his 15 homers — which are only two behind his single-season career high set last year — also leads all players in Double-A.
Where Does Spencer Jones Fit On The Yankees?
The Yankees outfield is crowded for now, especially with Judge closing in on his third MVP award, and his second in as many seasons.
But it is not without precedent for New York to eventually — like August — call up a top prospect to inject some youth and energy into its lineup. In 2023, while fading in the playoff race, the Bombers called up Jasson Dominguez, and he posted a .980 OPS and four homers in just eight games before his season-ending Tommy John surgery.
MLB Pipeline does project Jones to reach the majors at some point in 2025, but it is fair to wonder if that might be with a different organization.
Judge, Dominguez, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton currently occupy New York’s outfield/designated hitter spots. With Ben Rice’s hot hitting also potentially blocking Jones from playing DH and first base, general manager Brian Cashman could use Jones’ raised value to acquire pitching or a power-hitting infielder like Eugenio Suarez from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But Jones did also just turn 24 years old last month, and his left-handed swing seems tailor made for the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees usually like young players to get a taste of the playoffs, which means barring a trade Jones will almost certainly be in the dugout when the minor-league season ends in September and October. It’s just whether he’ll be on the field as well.
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