There has not been a better hitter in the minor leagues this season than New York Yankees center-field prospect Spencer Jones. Entering Thursday’s game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Jones posted a 198 wRC+. By the time it ended, his dominance in the minors only grew.
Jones, the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, clobbered three home runs against the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate. Jones now has 29 home runs in 68 games across Double A and Triple A. In Triple A alone, Jones has 13 home runs in 19 games. Baseball America announced Thursday afternoon that Jones will re-enter its top-100 prospects list when it’s revealed next week.
🚨 Spencer Jones is making his case with a THREE-HOMER GAME! 🚨#WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/cOpyYO4DWj
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 24, 2025
This year has turned into a breakout season for the 24-year-old, who has now maximized his power potential. In 2024, Jones only hit 17 home runs in 122 games. He also set a Yankees minor-league record for striking out 200 times in a single season. Jones has cut down his strikeout rate from 36.8 percent last season to 31.3 percent this year, entering Thursday. The biggest change for him in 2025 is his new exaggerated open stance.
“I think it’s helped a lot,” Jones told The Athletic earlier this week. “In spring, there were issues with my ability to recognize pitches and make a decision right away. Where I’m at now, people may look at it and think it’s not simple, but the move and the way it works is very simple. I kind of just move my body, let myself see the pitch and let my body swing. That’s where it’s been. I am glad to have been able to produce the results I have.”
Even with his otherworldly production in the minors this season, there remain questions about his viability when he reaches the major leagues. There are 35 current and former MLB players who posted at least one season with at least a 31 percent strikeout rate. The median slash line for those players is .229/.303/.423, according to Baseball America. Of those 35, most players fixed their strikeout problem in the year before reaching the big leagues, but Jones still has alarming contact-quantity metrics that make him arguably the most perplexing prospect.
The trade deadline is one week away, and the Yankees have several areas they need to fill (third baseman, starting pitching and bullpen). In Jones, they have an intriguing prospect who has clear flaws, which means they could sell high if they wanted. But Jones is someone who could be the club’s long-term answer in center field if everything clicks for him. It would be surprising if Jones were traded for a rental player like Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
Jones did not push back on the notion that he needs more time developing in the minors to fix some of his flaws, but he did say that he’ll be ready for the call to the big leagues whenever it happens.
“I’ve always believed whenever the time comes, the time comes,” Jones said. “All I can do in the meantime is to maximize myself and my development and get to a place where I’m fully confident in what I can do. Ultimately, that’s going to be the guy who produces in the major leagues. The goal is to always keep learning and keep growing and when the time comes, don’t stop.”
(Photo of Spencer Jones during spring training: Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images)