Yankees' Spencer Jones: Highest strikeout rate at Double-A
Rotowire
Jones is slashing .312/.382/.565 with six home runs, six steals and a 35.8 percent strikeout rate over his last 40 games for Double-A Somerset.
Jones' 36.8 percent strikeout rate on the season is the highest mark among all qualified Double-A hitters, and he has been only seven months younger than the average pitcher he has faced. While Jones' raw power and speed are impressive, the 6-foot-6 lefty slugger's strikeout issues limit his realistic upside, especially in batting average leagues.
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Yankees' Spencer Jones: Continues impressive spring
Rotowire
Jones went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, three total runs and four total RBI in Saturday's Spring Breakout game against the Blue Jays.
The inaugural Spring Breakout showcase is intended to highlight each team's best prospects, and Jones certainly made his presence known with his pair of blasts Saturday. It's been a standout spring overall for the 22-year-old, who is slashing .412/.524/.647 with a home run, four RBI, seven runs and a 3:3 BB:K over 11 contests in the regular Grapefruit League slate. Jones is slated to begin the regular season in Double-A ball, but he could reach the big leagues by the end of the campaign if he continues to impress in the minors.
The Yankees have invited Jones to participate in major-league spring training, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Jones is considered one of New York's top hitting prospects after he slashed .267/.336/.444 with 16 home runs, 66 RBI and 43 stolen bases between High-A and Double-A last season. The 22-year-old was selected by the Yankees 25th overall in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft and hasn't taken long to impress members of the organization. While he'll get a chance to display his skills against big leaguers during spring training, Jones is almost certain to begin the campaign back in Double-A and may not reach the majors until 2025, though there's a chance he gets his first cup of coffee late in the upcoming campaign.
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Yankees' Spencer Jones: Over 20 steals at High-A
Rotowire
Jones is hitting .263 with a .356 OBP, three home runs, 10 steals and a 27.4 percent strikeout rate in his last 30 games for High-A Hudson Valley.
Jones is having a strong statistical year, slashing .263/.330/.470 with 10 home runs and 21 steals, but given that he turned 22 in May, he's simply meeting expectations against High-A pitching. His strikeouts are down slightly and his walks are trending up over the past month, but we should learn much more about the viability of his hit tool when he is facing age-appropriate pitching at Double-A.
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Yankees' Spencer Jones: Popping in minors
Rotowire
Jones has hit .352/.416/.550 with four home runs and 12 steals through 24 minor-league games, most of which have come at Single-A Tampa.
The No. 25 overall pick in this year's draft, Jones has long been compared to Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, and it's hard not to see some similarities between the two 6-foot-7, power-hitting, nimble-footed Californians. (It gets even eerier when you look at their college stats.) At 21, Jones is a little on the older side for the Florida State League, but he's doing everything you could possibly ask for from a 2022 draftee. Don't sleep on him; as a college bat, he could move quickly through the organization.
