The decision to select 22-year-old Spencer Jones with the 25th pick in the 2022 MLB Draft seems to have payed off for the New York Yankees. The young outfielder was recently rewarded with an invite to spring training after a impressive 2023 season and has been one of the team’s standout players over the last few weeks.
Over six games in Grapefruit League, the 6’6″ left-handed hitter has already recorded a home run, four RBIs, five hits and four runs over 11 at-bats. He is slashing .455/.538/.727 and ranks fourth amongst all Yankees hitters with a .1266 OPS (minimum nine at-bats). His 470 foot home run on February 24 is a feat that even the mighty Yordan Alvarez has not matched to date. With numbers like that, it is no wonder that Jones is being touted as the next big thing in the Big Apple.
During a recent exclusive interview with Overtime Heroics, Jones opened up to senior editor Reggie Roberts about his goals for the upcoming season and what he hopes to achieve. The young prospects remains realistic and humble when speaking about his targets.
“Success for me will mean staying healthy and playing as many games as I can. If I am out there playing, I think I will be ok,” said Jones.
Aaron Boone and the Yankees organizaton will likely proceed with caution when it comes to their talented young outfielder. Rushing his development seems counterproductive at this stage considering the club have plenty of depth in the outfield position. The addition of Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo means captain Aaron Judge will have plenty of support in the outfield (unlike last season).
Last year in the minors, Jones finished with 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, 128 hits and 43 stolen bases.
Jones’ rise up the farm system has been impressive but he is yet to play a game at the Triple-A level. That will be the next test for the power-hitting slugger before a move to the majors.
The Yankees have several young players set to feature in the majors this year. Anthony Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza are all expected to play a bigger role in 2024. That may be another reason the club refrains from promoting one of their top prospects right away. Getting games under his belt will be key to Jones’ development this year.
Still, Jones’ high ceiling is there for all to see and he remains an exciting prospect for Yankees fans. We are just six games into spring training and analysts are already talking about his potential to develop into a five-tool star. It may not be in 2024, but expect to see Jones in the big leagues sometime in the future.
