TAMPA, Fla. — Commuting on Florida highways is already a challenge. Construction, tropical downpours and tourists who cannot find their exit make the daily drive an adventure. Now drivers on Dale Mabry Highway have something else to worry about: Spencer Jones’ home run power.
The Yankees outfield prospect launched his second homer of the spring in Thursday’s 7-3 Grapefruit League win over the Atlanta Braves. This one did not just clear the fence at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It left the ballpark entirely and came to rest somewhere along the highway beyond the stadium.
It was the kind of blast that makes front office executives rethink their plans. And with the Yankees facing roster decisions in the coming weeks, Jones is making it very hard to send him back to the minor leagues.
A 401-foot bomb that felt like it went even further
Jones’ seventh-inning blast came off right-hander Austin Pope. The ball left his bat at 107 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 401 feet to right-center field. Much like his first homer of the spring, it seemed to travel well beyond that estimate.
“He put a really good swing on that ball,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, that’s what he’s capable of right there.”
The 24-year-old is 2-for-6 with two home runs, four strikeouts and a walk through seven plate appearances this spring. Jones went 2-for-2 on the day, with both hits leaving the yard or traveling for extra bases.
Jones has been studying Ohtani’s swing mechanics
The power is not accidental. Jones recently revealed that he has made adjustments to his swing this offseason, using Shohei Ohtani as a model for certain aspects of his approach.
“He’s a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing,” Jones said. “He’s one of those guys that I look at with some of the stuff he does, and I try to apply it in whichever way I can.”
At 6-foot-7, Jones has enormous physical tools. His raw power was on full display in the minors last season when he clubbed 35 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A in 116 games. That kind of production from a left-handed hitter with plus size and bat speed is exactly what the Yankees need to develop from within.
Boone has liked what he has seen so far in camp.
“I feel like he’s put together some good at-bats,” Boone said. “He’s getting a lot of playing time, which is good. He’s a big man that’s made a lot of adjustments, that’s tried to get himself into good positions. Hopefully he can keep building on that.”
The three true outcomes problem Jones must solve
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The power is undeniable. The strikeouts are the concern.
Jones struck out in more than 35% of his plate appearances in the minors last season. His seven spring training plate appearances tell a familiar story: home run, strikeout, strikeout, walk, strikeout, strikeout, home run.
That profile, big power paired with a high strikeout rate, puts Jones squarely in the category baseball calls “three true outcomes” hitters. His at-bats tend to end one of three ways: a homer, a walk or a strikeout. Very little falls in between.
The comparison that keeps surfacing is Joey Gallo. The two-time All-Star led the American League with 111 walks in 2021 but also struck out 213 times, the most in the majors that year. Gallo’s inability to make consistent contact ultimately derailed his career. Jones does not want to follow the same path.
The swing adjustments, including the Ohtani-inspired changes, are designed to address that. Jones is trying to stay in the zone longer and put the barrel on more pitches. Whether that translates against big league arms over a full season is the question the Yankees need to answer.
The roster crunch makes this spring critical for Jones
Jones turns 25 in May. He is no longer a teenager with unlimited runway. The Yankees outfield already features Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Jasson Dominguez, with the recent signing of Randal Grichuk further crowding the picture.
But Jones is making the decision harder with every swing. Two home runs in seven plate appearances, with one traveling out of the ballpark, is the kind of performance the Yankees cannot ignore. His left-handed bat would provide lineup balance in a group that already skews heavily toward the left side.
If Jones keeps launching baseballs onto Dale Mabry Highway, the Yankees may have no choice but to find room for him. The power is real. The question is whether everything else is ready.
