Yankees retain Spencer Jones in Minor League camp for continued development
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Follow UsOn Tuesday night, the Yankees finally made a decision and announced a series of roster moves. Among the names listed was hard-hitting prospect Spencer Jones.
During the same day, the Yankees faced a 5-4 loss against the Mets on Tuesday, notably absent of regular players except for Anthony Volpe. Amidst the crowd at Clover Park, fans caught a glimpse of the standout performer of spring training, 22-year-old centerfielder Spencer Jones, the hottest prospect dubbed the “Baby Bomber.”
Spencer Jones made his mark before even stepping onto the field, signing autographs near the Yankees dugout before the game commenced. Despite entering the game only in the fifth inning, Jones seized the spotlight. In the eighth, he delivered an opposite-field double to left, elevating his spring batting average to .500 with seven hits in 14 at-bats.
In the ninth, with the Yankees on the brink of a comeback from a 5-0 deficit, Spencer Jones narrowly missed a potential tying hit. Mets third baseman Rylan Bannon’s spectacular diving catch stifled the Yankees’ hopes, securing a forceout at second base, and ending the game.
Boone Praises Spencer Jones’ potential despite Yankees’ loss
Manager Aaron Boone praised Spencer Jones’ presence and athleticism, emphasizing his promising future in baseball. Despite Jones’ stellar performance, the Yankees reassigned him, along with Jeter Downs, Caleb Durbin, and Brandon Lockridge, to minor league camp following the game.
“He’s just such a presence and such a dynamic athlete,” manager Aaron Boone said. “In a lot of ways, just kind of scratching the surface on his baseball career. He wasn’t a full-time position player until very long ago. He’s one of those guys with an incredibly high ceiling just based on his strength and athleticism. Just kind of fun watching him play center, too. He just kind of glides out there. He’s obviously come in here and had good success. So continue to be excited about his future and this being part of that development process.”
Acknowledging the small sample size, Spencer Jones showcased his talent, accumulating seven hits, including a home run, in 15 at-bats during spring training. Downs also displayed competence with a 3-for-13 record but faced tough competition within the Yankees’ middle infield depth chart.
Despite Spencer Jones’ impressive showing, his journey to the big leagues might be prolonged, with only 17 games of experience at Double-A as he heads into the 2024 season, according to GM Brian Cashman. Nonetheless, the future looks promising for the Vanderbilt first-rounder. The decision to send him to minor league camp is procedural, and he could still feature in big-league spring training games, especially during road contests where regular players might not travel.
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With how Spencer Jones has played, and looked at the plate, the same question as Dominguez last year: How much time does he need to be at AA before ‘conquering’ that level?
But let’s not sleep on what Lockridge has shown us too. If Judge really going to be the CF in 2024, and can handle it better than in 2022, just because he had 2+ months to train for it, why not at least listen if someone asks about Grisham.