Spencer Jones

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 60/Very High
  
  Track Record: Jones was a two-way talent as a high schooler, but a broken elbow helped him make it to campus at Vanderbilt. The Yankees drafted him 25th overall in 2022 and signed him for $2,880,800. Jones reached Low-A in his pro debut, then split his first full season between High-A and Double-A. His 155 strikeouts were the most in the system, and his 109 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity tied for the highest in the organization.
  
  Scouting Report: See Jones on the right day and he looks like one of the best prospects in baseball. See him on the wrong day and his strikeout issues appear to put a sizable roadblock in his path. Jones improved as the 2023 season went on, going from a 34.6% strikeout rate in April and May to a 26% rate from June onward. To achieve that success, he had to improve his approach and swing decisions. He was selling out to crush fastballs, which made him vulnerable to breaking balls. Sliders overall were particularly vexing, and he had trouble with breaking balls below the zone in general. Once he started adjusting his approach to the way pitchers were attacking him, he got better. Jones’ power is one of his calling cards, and his 93.8 mph average exit velocity was among the 10 best in the minor leagues among players with 100 or more plate appearances. Jones’ long strides allow him to cover a lot of ground in center field, but scouts are split about whether he’ll remain there. If he moves off the position, his average arm would fit in either corner.
  
  The Future: The 2024 season will be big for Jones. He’ll spend an entire season facing upper-level pitchers with the quality stuff and command to demonstrate how much further Jones will need to improve to reach his ceiling as an athletic middle-order thumper.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #6 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: As a high schooler, Jones had enough athleticism to excel as a two-way player. A broken elbow ended his senior season and stifled his draft stock enough that he made it to campus at Vanderbilt as a position player only. Jones was a standout in the Cape Cod League in 2021 and backed it up with an excellent junior season in Nashville, where he produced an 1.104 OPS with 12 home runs. The Yankees liked his combination of athleticism, lefthanded power and bat-to-ball skills enough to draft him 25th overall. He signed for $2,880,800 and split his pro debut between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Tampa.
  
  Scouting Report: Much like the Yankees' other towering sluggers, Jones uses his massive frame to produce corresponding power and the exit velocities to match. He hit three home runs in the Florida State League, including one which produced an exit velocity of 111.3 mph. As expected with a hitter his size, Jones has holes to close at the plate, though scouts who saw him as a pro noted he'd done a good job learning how to manipulate the barrel and slowly minimize areas where he can be exploited. He had also done well to go the other way against lefthanders. Defensively, Jones has the speed to stick in center field but might be more natural on an outfield corner. His big-time power and average arm strength would help him profile as a classic masher who hits toward the middle of an order. He's a plus runner now who is likely to tick down a half-grade as he ages.
  
  The Future: After a brief appearance at Low-A, Jones and his Vanderbilt pedigree are likely to head to High-A Hudson Valley to begin 2023. He'll work to continue maintaining his hitting ability against higher-caliber pitchers.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #49 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Vanderbilt Committed/Drafted: Angels ’19 (31)
  Age At Draft: 21.2
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50
  Jones was a standout two-way player in high school in the 2019 class, with significant upside as a lefthanded pitcher on the mound, but sneaky bat-to-ball skills and athleticism as a hitter with such a tall frame. A fractured elbow cut his senior season short, and he made it to campus at Vanderbilt, where he has exclusively been a hitter—mostly playing outfield but getting a few games at first base. After hitting under .300 in his first two seasons, Jones turned in a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .312/.424/.481 in 21 games (though with a 30% strikeout rate) and has had a career-best season this spring. Jones hit .370/.460/.644 with 12 home runs, 21 doubles and 64 strikeouts (23.5 K%) to 32 walks (11.7 BB%) in 61 games. Jones has plenty of power in his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame, with the average and top-end exit velocities to back that up. He has clear plus raw power but hasn’t tapped into that quite as much as scouts have expected thanks in part to a heavy backside approach. He’s still a plus runner despite his size and will turn in 4.15-second home-to-first times, with the speed to be a threat on the bases and play an above-average corner outfield position. He has shown average arm strength, but that could improve as he gets further away from his elbow injury. Model-driven teams could be lower on Jones given his strikeout rate, but old-school scouts are excited about his unique athleticism, size and power potential.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #36 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #76 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: As a high schooler, Jones had enough athleticism to excel as a two-way player. A broken elbow ended his senior season and stifled his draft stock enough that he made it to campus at Vanderbilt as a position player only. Jones was a standout in the Cape Cod League in 2021 and backed it up with an excellent junior season in Nashville, where he produced an 1.104 OPS with 12 home runs. The Yankees liked his combination of athleticism, lefthanded power and bat-to-ball skills enough to draft him 25th overall. He signed for $2,880,800 and split his pro debut between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Tampa.
  
  Scouting Report: Much like the Yankees' other towering sluggers, Jones uses his massive frame to produce corresponding power and the exit velocities to match. He hit three home runs in the Florida State League, including one which produced an exit velocity of 111.3 mph. As expected with a hitter his size, Jones has holes to close at the plate, though scouts who saw him as a pro noted he'd done a good job learning how to manipulate the barrel and slowly minimize areas where he can be exploited. He had also done well to go the other way against lefthanders. Defensively, Jones has the speed to stick in center field but might be more natural on an outfield corner. His big-time power and average arm strength would help him profile as a classic masher who hits toward the middle of an order. He's a plus runner now who is likely to tick down a half-grade as he ages.
  
  The Future: After a brief appearance at Low-A, Jones and his Vanderbilt pedigree are likely to head to High-A Hudson Valley to begin 2023. He'll work to continue maintaining his hitting ability against higher-caliber pitchers.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: As a high schooler, Jones had enough athleticism to excel as a two-way player. A broken elbow ended his senior season and stifled his draft stock enough that he made it to campus at Vanderbilt as a position player only. Jones was a standout in the Cape Cod League in 2021 and backed it up with an excellent junior season in Nashville, where he produced an 1.104 OPS with 12 home runs. The Yankees liked his combination of athleticism, lefthanded power and bat-to-ball skills enough to draft him 25th overall. He signed for $2,880,800 and split his pro debut between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Tampa.
  
  Scouting Report: Much like the Yankees' other towering sluggers, Jones uses his massive frame to produce corresponding power and the exit velocities to match. He hit three home runs in the Florida State League, including one which produced an exit velocity of 111.3 mph. As expected with a hitter his size, Jones has holes to close at the plate, though scouts who saw him as a pro noted he'd done a good job learning how to manipulate the barrel and slowly minimize areas where he can be exploited. He had also done well to go the other way against lefthanders. Defensively, Jones has the speed to stick in center field but might be more natural on an outfield corner. His big-time power and average arm strength would help him profile as a classic masher who hits toward the middle of an order. He's a plus runner now who is likely to tick down a half-grade as he ages.
  
  The Future: After a brief appearance at Low-A, Jones and his Vanderbilt pedigree are likely to head to High-A Hudson Valley to begin 2023. He'll work to continue maintaining his hitting ability against higher-caliber pitchers.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  August Update: Jones was a standout two-way player in high school in the 2019 class, with significant upside as a lefthanded pitcher on the mound, but sneaky bat-to-ball skills and athleticism as a hitter with such a tall frame. A fractured elbow cut his senior season short, and he made it to campus at Vanderbilt, where he has exclusively been a hitter—mostly playing outfield but getting a few games at first base. After hitting under .300 in his first two seasons, Jones turned in a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .312/.424/.481 in 21 games (though with a 30% strikeout rate) and has had a career-best season this spring. Jones hit .370/.460/.644 with 12 home runs, 21 doubles and 64 strikeouts (23.5 K%) to 32 walks (11.7 BB%) in 61 games. Jones has plenty of power in his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame, with the average and top-end exit velocities to back that up. He has clear plus raw power but hasn&#39t tapped into that quite as much as scouts have expected thanks in part to a heavy backside approach. He&#39s still a plus runner despite his size and will turn in 4.15-second home-to-first times, with the speed to be a threat on the bases and play an above-average corner outfield position. He has shown average arm strength, but that could improve as he gets further away from his elbow injury. Model-driven teams could be lower on Jones given his strikeout rate, but old-school scouts are excited about his unique athleticism, size and power potential.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 60. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 50.