One day after the MLB Draft, the Yankees are hopeful that they will sign Spencer Jones as a first-round pick.
On Monday, the club selected the 6-7, 225-pound with the 25th overall pick. When asked about sign Jones comparisons to Aaron Judge, Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of scouting, said, “I don’t see any complications right now.”
It’s unfair to compare a draft pick with the face of the Yankees franchise, Oppenheimer said the two were similar in their actions. He noted that both are centerfielders in the Cape Cod Baseball League and they “have great make-up and were great athletes.”
Jones, according to Oppenheimer, is a “realistic five-tool type of guy.” “He’s got a lot of raw power.” He can hit from anywhere on the field. He can throw. He’s a plus runner. He’s a good defender and the ease and the way he does things is pretty special.”
Oppenheimer also stated that the Yankees received some surprises in the draft.
Brett Barrera, chosen in the 8th round, fits that category. In 63 games, he hit .351 with 34 extra-base hits and 53 RBIs. “You can get a guy like that from Stanford… those guys have a tendency to make it,” Oppenheimer said.
Each one of the Yankees’ 20 draft picks came from college. Oppenheimer stated that this does not represent an organizational culture. Much of it was due to the club’s lack of draft bonus pool money, which ranked them 26th out of 30 MLB teams. After signing top draft picks, the Yankees may not have had enough money to entice top high school players to change their college commitments.
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