When Spencer Jones first heard about the comparisons, he was in high school. With an eye on the future, a counselor told him, “You can be Aaron Judge if you hit left-handed.” He heard them again when he was in college and playing summer baseball for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. This was the same team that Judge had played for almost a decade earlier.
So it didn’t surprise Jones that he was still hearing them about a month after the Yankees picked him with the 25th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Jones is 6 feet 7 inches tall and has a powerful bat. Even though they look alike, it might not be fair to compare anyone to the Yankees’ star slugger, who is in the lead for American League MVP this year. Jones isn’t trying to hide from them, though. He is giving them a hug.
It’s easy to see why the Yankees’ No. 7 prospect is compared to other players. Jones is a 6-foot-7, 225-pound center fielder who is very athletic for his size, has surprising speed, and has more power than most players his size. His offense is hit-and-miss, but he hits the ball hard when he does. It’s very hard.
Former two-way player, now 21, was a junior at Vanderbilt this past spring. He played in 61 games and had a .370/.460/.643 batting line with 12 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 14 steals. His fast exit speed wowed the Yankees’ scouts at the MLB Draft combine. The hardest ball he hit that day was 112.2 mph, and his average speed was 103.6 mph.
Judge’s rookie numbers are still his signature skill. Jones and Judge play the same position. They now work together. Jones bats and throws left-handed, so maybe they’ll be in the Yankees’ lineup together.
Jones wants to talk to Judge about routine, recovery, and off-season weight training because their bodies are similar. He has adjusted well to professional baseball since signing for . In the Single-A Florida League and the Florida Complex League, he hit .355 with two home runs.
On Thursday, the Yankees said that they had signed all 20 of the players they picked in the 2022 Draft.
What do you think, leave a comment below?
