Spencer

Jones

Both of Jones’ home runs came off of Jose Berrios, which is nice to see, and he has 10 home runs on the season. However, the 24-year-old also has a 33 percent strikeout rate, 20.5 percent swinging strike rate, and just a 59 percent contact rate overall. That is not going to work at the Major League level.

The Yankees aren’t going to add an outfielder unless someone gets hurt, but Jones might have the very early edge on Jasson Domínguez there. He’s 4-for-12 with two extra-base hits so far. All three of his hits Sunday had exit velocities in excess of 104 mph.

The 24-year-old slugger was awfully impressive during Grapefruit League play, slashing .333/.455/.889 with three homers, seven RBI and three stolen bases in 22 plate appearances. He was unfortunately battling against a crowded outfield mix. He’ll now fight with Jasson Dominguez to be the next man up once injury eventually strikes and the Yankees need reinforcements.

That’s the Spencer Special. Jones’s homer left the bat at 111.7 mph, making it the hardest-hit ball in a 20-3 game that featured seven homers. With Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham back, Jones seems cut off from any path to make the Yankees. He’ll likely battle Jasson Domínguez in Triple-A to be the first outfielder called up.

Domínguez enters a pivotal spring training without a clear avenue to regular playing time after New York re-signed veterans Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham earlier this offseason. The 23-year-old former top prospect could potentially wind up back at Triple-A to continue his development by playing everyday. These situations have a way of sorting themselves out but it’s clear that Domínguez will offer minimal fantasy appeal in a reduced role at the highest level. Here is the full lineup: Domínguez (LF), Aaron Judge (RF), Ryan McMahon (3B), Paul Goldschmidt (DH), Seth Brown (1B), Paul DeJong (SS), Spencer Jones (CF), Max Schuemann (2B) and Ali Sánchez (C).

The deal includes a full no-trade clause, a $20 million signing bonus and opt outs after 2027 and 2028. Everything in recent days was trending towards this outcome, especially with the Mets seemingly taking themselves out of the mix by acquiring Luis Robert Jr. last night. The Cubs had been another suitor, but that appeared to end when they landed Alex Bregman, and the Dodgers solved their outfield need with Kyle Tucker. Bellinger’s return as the primary left fielder would seem to leave little room for Jasson Domínguez and top prospect Spencer Jones in the Yankees’ immediate plans. Domínguez could remain a fourth outfielder, which is how he ended last year, but it’s also possible the team could send him down to play regularly initially.

One of the most polarizing prospects in baseball, Jones combines top-of-the-scale raw power with abysmal contact skills. The 24-year-old slugging prospect is capable of making some serious noise, especially in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, if he’s able to make enough contact to survive at the highest level. He’s the ultimate high-risk prospect for fantasy purposes. Rodríguez made a serious leap last season into one of the organization’s top pitching prospects, compiling a 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 176/57 K/BB ratio across 150 innings over 27 appearances (26 starts) between three levels.

This is probably the biggest surprise of the QO decisions, as it sounded like Grisham would have an opportunity to make similar money on a two- or three-year deal. Apparently, he wasn’t seeing that market. Grisham busted out offensively last season, but at the same time, his defense declined, which might have caused other teams to look at him as more of a corner outfield. The Yankees will probably keep him in center for now. They’re still expected to try to re-sign Cody Bellinger (or perhaps make a run at Kyle Tucker), which could leave little room for Jasson Domínguez or Spencer Jones.

Since August 1st, Jones has gone 32-for-162 (.197) with four home runs, 16 RBI, and a 79/13 K/BB ratio. More and more, it’s looking like his hot start at Triple-A was a bit of a mirage, and the contact issues continue to be a concern.

After getting off to a torrid start when he was first called up to Triple-A, Jones is slashing .172/.245/.299 in 87 at-bats in August. He has three home runs in the month but also has 34 strikeouts to just seven walks, which highlights to major contact issues that have been a part of his profile as a prospect. There is no denying the raw tools, but Jones is a volatile prospect based on his major swing-and-miss concerns.