CLEVELAND – When Spencer Jones was called up by the Yankees at the beginning of May, he had a relatively uneventful 10-game stretch before being sent back down to the Minors.
It took just four games for his second stretch with the team to become more eventful.
On Tuesday night, the 25-year-old Jones – New York’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline – slugged his first career home run in the second inning of the Yankees’ game against the Guardians at Progressive Field.
Jones’ homer was a showcase of the prodigious power that he’s known for, as he launched the ball a Statcast-projected 443 feet at 112.2 mph to dead center field against Cleveland right-hander Slade Cecconi.
It was the third-longest home run by a Yankee this season – behind Aaron Judge (456 feet) and Giancarlo Stanton (446 feet) – and the longest hit at Progressive Field this season. It was also the hardest-hit first career home run by a Yankees player since Statcast began recording in 2015, and it was the second-longest first career home run by a Yankee in that span behind Judge (446 feet).
Yankees fans are hoping it’s the first of many for the hulking outfielder. Jones has showcased that prestigious power throughout his career in the Minors (85 career Minor League home runs), but he has also struggled with swing-and-miss (he entered Tuesday having struck out in 45% of his big league at-bats).
But it would have been tough for him to miss Cecconi’s pitch, which was a cutter over the middle of the plate right in Jones’ nitro zone.
The homer couldn’t have come at a better time for a Yankees team that’s set to be without Judge for the foreseeable future as he recovers from a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side.
While Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger have helped carry the load in Judge’s absence, Jones finding his power stroke would go a long way toward making sure the Yankees are able to stay afloat without their captain.
Jones showcased the first example of that power on Tuesday with his magnificent blast to center field that showed he’s clearly ready for the big leagues.