NEW YORK — Spencer Jones crushed 35 home runs across two minor league levels in 2025. He posted a .982 OPS. He came within one stolen base of a 30-30 season. Yet none of that mattered when Baseball America released its top 100 prospect rankings on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-7 slugger who once drew comparisons to Aaron Judge was nowhere to be found. The towering outfielder who had Yankees fans dreaming of a left-handed Judge clone simply vanished from the list.
And it got worse from there.
Four Yankees made it, but not the one on the doorstep
Baseball America named four Yankees to its 2026 top 100 prospects list. Shortstop George Lombard Jr. led the way at No. 46. Pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz came in at No. 59. First-round shortstop Dax Kilby landed at No. 61. Pitcher Carlos Lagrange rounded out the group at No. 93.
Jones, the player who seemed closest to contributing at the major league level, did not make the cut.
The reason? His strikeouts remain a glaring problem. Jones fanned 179 times in 116 games in 2025. That followed a 2024 campaign in which he became the first Yankees minor leaguer ever to strike out 200 times in a season.
The power is undeniable. His 90th percentile exit velocity reached 107.7 mph last season. But evaluators cannot ignore a 35.4 percent strikeout rate that would rank among the highest in the majors.
The Bellinger deal closes the door
Hours after the Baseball America snub, Cody Bellinger signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract to return to the Bronx. The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus, opt-outs after years two and three, and a full no-trade clause.
For Jones, the signing delivered a second blow within 24 hours. His path to the majors just got longer.
The Yankees projected outfield now features Bellinger in left, Trent Grisham in center, and Judge in right. Jasson Dominguez slots in as the fourth outfielder. Jones, despite raking at Triple-A in the second half of 2025, likely heads back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
He now probably needs two injuries just to get a chance with the big club this season.
The Yankees system lacks star power
Having four players on the top 100 shows organizational depth. But the Yankees’ highest-ranked prospect coming in at No. 46 reveals a different truth. The system lacks elite talent.
Lombard is a promising shortstop. The son of former major leaguer and current Tigers bench coach George Lombard, he earned a promotion to Double-A Somerset in May 2025 after slashing .329/.495/.488 at High-A Hudson Valley. But his production dropped at the higher level. He posted just a .695 OPS in 108 games with Somerset.
Rodriguez-Cruz earned Yankees Minor League Player of the Year honors after posting a 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts in 150 innings across three levels. Kilby, the No. 39 pick in 2025, played just 18 games and posted an .898 OPS with 16 stolen bases. Lagrange finished with a 3.83 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 120 innings.
MLB.com ranked the Yankees system 22nd last August. They are more bullish on the team’s prospects than Baseball America. MLB Pipeline has Lombard at No. 25 overall, Lagrange at No. 74, and Jones at No. 99.
Trade chip or insurance policy?
The Yankees now face a choice with Jones. He turns 25 in May. He is no longer a teenage phenom with unlimited runway. Three years after being drafted 25th overall out of Vanderbilt, he has yet to take a major league at-bat.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the swing-and-miss issues but remains bullish on the prospect. “He handled his business at the Minor League level,” Boone said. “Now he comes in with probably a more realistic look. Whether it’s to start the season or not, we’ll see, but it’s probably a more realistic look to where he’s now knocking on the door of the big leagues.”
General manager Brian Cashman has also expressed enthusiasm for the 24-year-old. He believes Jones is big-league ready despite the alarming strikeout totals.
But with Bellinger now locked in for five years, the organization may shift its thinking. Jones could become trade bait rather than a future starter.
The rotation problem may force a trade
The Yankees enter 2026 without three key starters. Gerrit Cole remains sidelined following Tommy John surgery. His return has been pushed back to late May or early June. Carlos Rodon underwent an elbow cleanup procedure and should return in late April. Clarke Schmidt could miss most of the season after his own Tommy John surgery in July.
Max Fried stands as the clear ace for Opening Day after going 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 2025. Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Luis Gil, and Ryan Yarbrough round out the current options.
The Yankees maintain heavy interest in Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta. He finished 2025 with a 17-6 record and 2.70 ERA. His $8 million salary makes him attractive. But Milwaukee has set a high asking price, and the Dodgers, Mets, Giants, and Braves are also pursuing him.
Jones could be packaged with a young starter like Will Warren to land a rotation piece.
Dominguez faces his own questions
Dominguez spent his rookie season in 2025 producing a .248/.327/.397 slash line in 149 games. The celebrated prospect who once drew comparisons to Hall of Famers has not yet delivered elite major league production. He is only 22, but his defense in left field drew criticism.
The Bellinger signing pushes Dominguez into a fourth-outfielder role. That is not ideal for a player who needs at-bats to develop. The Yankees are hoping they get a full healthy season from primary designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, but that would be his first since 2017.
One of the young outfielders could become a starter in 2027 if Grisham leaves as a free agent. For now, both Jones and Dominguez are insurance policies waiting for an opportunity.
A quiet offseason gets quieter
The Yankees tied their offseason to Bellinger’s decision. While AL East rivals made moves, Cashman stood pat. The Yankees re-signed Grisham to a qualifying offer, added depth pieces like Paul Blackburn and Yarbrough, and waited.
With Bellinger now signed, they have the same lineup pieces that were in place following their summer trades for Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, and Amed Rosario in 2025. Another 94-win season is realistic. Championship expectations remain uncertain.
For Jones, Wednesday brought a double disappointment. A national prospect list ignored his power surge. A contract signing blocked his path to the majors. The 6-foot-7 slugger with Aaron Judge power potential will have to wait at least another year to prove the doubters wrong.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
The first set back was offering Grisham the 22.5milliom thinking he wouldn’t accept it. Every power hitter has the knack for striking out a lot, heck even Aaron Judge did his initial time .Stanton did it with Miami when he first got there. My point is they were given the opportunity to adapt and become major league hitters. They still K to many times. Jones is a plus OF with speed, defensive smarts and a strong arm. Dominquez got the nod last year because he was ” the second coming” even though he’s a defensive liability. All I want to see is Spencer get his fair shot like the others have.