The Yankees selected Vanderbilt outfielder Spencer Jones with the No. 25 pick in the MLB draft. Here's what you need to know...
By The Numbers
- Height: 6-foot-7
- Weight: 225
- MLB.com 80-grade Scouting numbers: Hit: 50, Power: 55, Run: 50, Arm: 50, Field: 50, Overall: 50
- Ranking: No. 51 overall by MLB.com
- Stats (College Career): 109 G, .329/.418/.554 15 HR, 73 RBI, 18 SB
Prospect Overview
MLB.com: 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.
SI.com: Vanderbilt outfielder Jones is an outlier athlete. Standing at 6-foot-7, Jones is comparable in height to Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, albeit 50 pounds lighter. Like Judge, Jones has elite lower-half explosiveness, meaning that he can throw hard and put up monstrous exit velocities.
At Vanderbilt this year, Jones hit a ball 119 MPH and also put 22 baseballs in play this spring with exit velocities higher than 110 MPH. For reference: Julio Rodríguez has only 20 such batted balls this season. In fact, 45 percent of the balls Jones put in play this year were over 100 MPH.
Instant Analysis
SNY Insider Andy Martino: "Jones, like another Yankee outfielder you may have heard of, is a tall man, he's 6-foot-7. We happen to know his hitting coach at Vanderbilt. The former Met and Queens native Mike Baxter.
"Baxter said that Jones has huge power potential with a good current hit tool. Athleticism off the chart for size, an incredible runner for six-foot-seven. Jones needs at bats, which he will get in the Yankees player development system."
