Spencer Jones was selected in the first-round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and the Yankees have held high hopes for his ceiling ever since.
An outlier athlete, Jones has had some incredible highs and some alarming lows throughout his Minor League career, and in a few short weeks he’ll be placed on the Yankees’ 40-man roster.
After hitting 35 home runs in 116 games this past season, Jones’ incredible power is juxtaposed to his scary strikeout rates, punching out in over 35% of plate appearances across two levels.
There are flashes of a player who hits 30+ home runs while being a threat on the bases and an excellent glove and centerfield, and nightmares of a reality where the Yankees have a hitter who’s completely helpless at the plate.
A likely departure for Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton’s increasing age presents a unique opportunity for Spencer Jones, but should the Yankees be ready to debut one of their top prospects in 2026?
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How Will Spencer Jones Fit Into the 2026 Yankees’ Plans?
A near-.150 point increase in OPS from 2024 to 2025 was largely driven by a massive increase in home run output, as Spencer Jones made strides all winter to increase loft and take advantage of his game power.
Working with former Yankee farmhand Justin Wilson over the offseason, Jones worked tirelessly to re-work his swing, and that effort paid off in the 2025 season.
He decreased his GB% from 42.3% to 33.1% and more than doubled his home run total from last year in fewer plate appearances, but it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.
The final two months of the season were a serious struggle as Jones dealt with back spasms right after the trade deadline, hitting .210 from August onward with a 42.3% K%.
Overall, it was a successful season at the plate for Spencer Jones, but people inside the Yankees’ organization still believe there needs to be a decrease in strikeout rate before he can take that final step to the big leagues.
There is a misconception on the public side about the pressure on Jones’ bat, as while the goal should be for him to become an above-average hitter, he carries other tools that are valued by the Yankees.
Spencer Jones is a good defensive centerfielder, having excellent range and speed to pair with a cannon of an arm which allows him to complete throws from any part of the outfield.
The speed he possesses coupled with his long limbs allow him to snag flyballs that other outfielders wouldn’t be able to get to, and like Aaron Judge, the height makes him one of the best home-run thiefs the team could throw in CF.
An above-average defender at a premium position who also makes a significant impact on the bases is a player who can be immensly valuable on a contender as merely a league-average hitter.
With the right roster construction the team could in theory just have him hit in the bottom third of the lineup, swiping bases and playing strong centerfield defense while the bat sorts itself out.
The issue becomes whether that’s worth it for a Yankees team that has not gotten the job done in the Aaron Judge era, and desperately needs a title.
Jasson Dominguez could blossom into a quality outfielder for years to come due to his talented bat and excellent speed, and both Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are free agents.
To have Spencer Jones displace Dominguez on the roster or prevent a pursuit of two top free agents could hurt the team’s ability to win in 2026, and they could cash-in on their first-round pick on the trade market.
Sources told Empire Sports Media at the trade deadline that the Yankees and Marlins held talks surrounding RHP Sandy Alcantara, with Spencer Jones being a player of interest for Miami.
Had the team acquired Alcantara, who posted a 3.70 ERA and 3.88 FIP after the deadline, they may not have kept Cam Schlittler in the rotation given Luis Gil’s return at the start of August.
If they never knew what Cam Schlittler was capable of, do they win 94 games and do they win the Wild Card Round against the Red Sox?
Spencer Jones, similarly to Cam Schlittler, is a desirable prospect due to the upside and outlier physical tools that create a potential gamechanging player.
On a pre-arbitration salary, that could not just increase your World Series odds significantly, it also extends the team’s contention window, but we’ve seen this backfire on the Yankees as well.
Would signing Corey Seager after 2021 and trading Anthony Volpe for Luis Castillo at the 2022 trade deadline have changed their fate in the 2022 ALCS?
There’s layers to any argument for or against sliding Spencer Jones into the Yankees’ plans for the upcoming season, and it leaves Brian Cashman and the front office in a difficult position as they assess his fate.