Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 

A California high school product, Jones was one of the best two-way prospects in the 2019 Draft but required surgery to repair a small fracture in his pitching elbow. He slid to the Angels in the 31st round because of his strong commitment to Vanderbilt, and he required Tommy John surgery in July 2020 after trying to pitch again in summer ball. He missed part of last season while completing his rehab and didn't become an everyday position player for the Commodores until this spring, when he has hit his way into the top two rounds. 

Jones has the potential to hit for average while producing solid power, but he also swings and misses frequently against non-fastballs. Though he generates plenty of bat speed and has impressive strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame, his size also creates a naturally long left-handed swing. He uses the opposite field almost to a fault, rarely turning on pitches, and there are concerns about whether he'll be able to handle quality fastballs on the inner half. 

Very athletic for his size, Jones shows average speed out of the batter's box, is quicker once he gets going and has some basestealing ability. He covers ground in right field and has regained average arm strength. He also played some first base last year at Vanderbilt and is a solid defender there. 

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

A California high schooler who ranked as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2019 Draft, Jones dropped all the way to the Angels in the 31st round because he had a strong commitment to Vanderbilt as well as surgery to repair a small fracture in his pitching elbow. The pandemic wiped out most of his first college season in 2020 and he had Tommy John surgery that July after trying to return to the mound in summer ball. He has been a full-time hitter ever since. He hit his way into 2022's first round, signed for $2,880,800 and then totaled 16 homers and 43 steals while advancing to Double-A in his first full pro season. 

Jones offers an intriguing combination of power and uncommon athleticism for a 6-foot-6, 235-pounder. His bat speed, strength and leverage produce well-above-average raw power and exit velocities, though there are some concerns about how much of his pop will play in games. He rarely turns on pitches and must prove he can handle quality velocity on the inner half at higher levels. His naturally long left-handed stroke results in a lot of strikeouts, including 155 with a 29 percent whiff rate in 2023. 

Jones shows average speed out of the batter's box and is a solid runner once underway. He's aggressive on the bases and covers ground with long strides in center field. A right fielder in college, he played exclusively in center his first two years as a pro and has a better chance to remain there than fellow Yankees prospect Jasson Domínguez.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Though he was one of the best two-way prospects in the 2019 Draft, Jones dropped to the Angels in the 31st round because he scared teams off with surgery to repair a small fracture in his pitching elbow and a strong commitment to Vanderbilt. He had Tommy John surgery in July 2020 after trying to return to the mound in summer ball and didn't win a regular job in the Commodores lineup until last spring, when he hit his way into the first round by posting a .370/.460/.644 slash line. He continued to rake after signing for $2,880,800 as the 25th overall pick, batting .344/.425/.538 with four homers in his 25-game pro debut. 

Jones features impressive strength and leverage in his towering 6-foot-6 frame, and he also generates plenty of bat speed and makes a lot of hard contact from the left side of the plate. His size does result in a naturally long left-handed swing that leads to strikeouts, and he uses the opposite field almost too much. Because he rarely turns on pitches, some scouts wonder if he'll be able to handle quality velocity on the inner half as he rises through the Minors. 

Extremely athletic for his size, Jones displays average speed out of the batter's box and is a solid runner once he gets going. He stole 12 bases without getting caught in his introduction to pro ball and covers ground in the outfield. A right fielder at Vanderbilt, he played exclusively in center during his debut and has regained average arm strength since having his elbow reconstructed. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50 

One of the best two-way prospects in the 2019 Draft as a California high schooler, Jones required surgery to repair a small fracture in his pitching elbow before sliding to the Angels in the 31st round because of his strong commitment to Vanderbilt. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2020 after trying to return to the mound in the summer, missed part of 2021 while finishing his rehab and didn't become an everyday player for the Commodores until this spring. He hit his way into the first round by batting .370/.460/.643 with 12 homers and signed for $2,880,800 as the 25th overall selection. 

Jones generates plenty of bat speed and has impressive strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame, and he makes a lot of hard contact while producing solid power. His size does create a naturally long left-handed stroke, however, and he uses the opposite field almost to a fault. Some scouts note that he rarely turns on pitches and wonder if he'll be able to handle quality velocity on the inner half as a pro. 

Very athletic for his size, Jones is an average runner out of the batter's box and faster once he gets going. He shows some basestealing ability and covers ground well in right field, where he has regained average arm strength. He also played some first base in his first two years at Vanderbilt and is an average defender there. 

2019 Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

At first, Jones' participation at the Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego last summer after a solid Area Codes Game performance seemed like a nice little "local kid done good" story. Then he singled and stole a base on the offensive end while throwing a perfect inning on the mound, serving notice that he might be the best two-way player in this Draft class. Scouts won't get the chance to see him this spring, however, as surgery to fix a small fracture in his throwing elbow will put him on the shelf until the summer.

The scouting industry is somewhat divided about where the 6-foot-7 left-hander's future lies. On the mound, he's up to 93 mph with his fastball, a pitch that's rarely straight. He has the ingredients of a very good curveball that could eventually be a plus pitch. It all comes from a projectable body and a delivery that works, giving hope that he'll find the strike zone more consistently and have the aptitude to add an effective third pitch as he gains more experience. Many thought he'd turn into a pitcher only, especially given his size, but he's shown he uses all those moving parts well as a position player. He's a plus runner and obviously, his arm works well, and he's played both the outfield and first base. He has a whip of a swing and is very unpolished, but some evaluators can dream on him as a hitter.

Jones has as much upside as perhaps anyone in the Draft class and that's true on both sides of the ball. He still could factor in the early rounds of the Draft, though teams looking to sign him away from his Vanderbilt commitment will have to do so based on his summer performance.

Awards

EAS Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

EAS Player of the Week

Week	Team
09/01/2024
08/04/2024
06/30/2024

Futures Game Selection

Year	Team
2024
2023

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	07/14/2024	American League Futures activated OF Spencer Jones.
	07/12/2024	American League Futures activated OF Spencer Jones.
	03/07/2024	New York Yankees Prospects activated OF Spencer Jones.
	02/06/2024	New York Yankees invited non-roster OF Spencer Jones to spring training.
	08/27/2023	OF Spencer Jones assigned to Somerset Patriots from Hudson Valley Renegades.
	08/27/2023	Somerset Patriots activated OF Spencer Jones.
	07/07/2023	American League Futures activated OF Spencer Jones.
	04/02/2023	OF Spencer Jones assigned to Hudson Valley Renegades from Tampa Tarpons.
	02/26/2023	OF Spencer Jones roster status changed by New York Yankees.
	02/26/2023	OF Spencer Jones assigned to New York Yankees.
	02/26/2023	OF Spencer Jones roster status changed by New York Yankees.
	02/26/2023	OF Spencer Jones roster status changed by New York Yankees.
	08/09/2022	OF Spencer Jones assigned to Tampa Tarpons from FCL Yankees.
	08/04/2022	OF Spencer Jones assigned to FCL Yankees.
	07/25/2022	New York Yankees signed OF Spencer Jones.
	06/11/2022	1B Spencer Jones assigned to College Workout.
	02/08/2020	1B Spencer Jones assigned to Vanderbilt Commodores.
	08/09/2018	LHP Spencer Jones assigned to PG West.
	07/19/2018	LHP Spencer Jones assigned to UA National.