This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch's Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
NEW YORK -- Spencer Jones had just ripped a hard double to the center-field wall on Sunday afternoon, sending George Lombard Jr. charging around the bases to score with a slide into home plate. That was when the rookie teammates shared a quick observation.
“He’s like, ‘Man, I feel like we’ve been doing that a lot,’” Jones said after the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Blue Jays in the Bronx.
Lombard has certainly made an impact through his first 17 games in pinstripes, and the Yankees are also encouraged by what they’re seeing from Jones, who is showing increased consistency against Major League pitching.
With a 2-for-3 showing on Sunday, Jones has hit safely in eight of his last 11 games (since Aug. 12), batting .308 (12-for-39) over that span.
That stretch includes two homers, one of which fueled a victory over Toronto – a jaw-dropping, Statcast-calculated 385-foot shot on Friday that came off the bat with a 43-degree launch angle, arcing high toward Yankee Stadium’s right-field foul pole.
“I feel like he’s controlling his at-bats really well,” Cody Bellinger said. “Obviously, the power is there, but he really does work a lot of good at-bats. He understands what he wants to do with his plan and his mechanics. He’s a freak athlete, a great defender. I think he’s doing really well right now.”
This marks Jones’ third stint in the Majors of the season, following previous promotions from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in early May and again in early June. Those earlier opportunities, Jones said, gave him valuable information -- and confidence.
“I think it’s just knowing that I’m good enough to be here,” Jones said. “I’m good enough to fit in the clubhouse. It’s just self-belief, knowing that, yeah, I have what it takes to play at this level. It’s one of those things that cumulatively builds. And then when you get your opportunities, you want to make the most out of them.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledges that swing-and-miss will probably always be part of Jones’ game; he has struck out 64 times in 178 plate appearances this year (35.9%).
But Boone also believes that Jones’ 6-foot-7 frame can make adjustments more complicated -- and potentially more rewarding when they click. One comparison Boone provided: another 6-foot-7 rookie outfielder who once struck out in 42 of his first 95 plate appearances in 2016.
“Aaron Judge comes to mind,” Boone said. “Even before I was here, there were industry questions about what his ceiling was going to be. Aaron went through those changes and adjustments, and now he’s turned into the greatest player in the world because that size became a huge factor for him.
“So I think Spencer has done a good job in working through that and working hard to make adjustments to become a more well-rounded hitter.”
While the Yankees eagerly look ahead to a day when Judge is ready to plug back into their outfield, Jones figures to have a meaningful role in the meantime.
Boone said Bellinger’s return to everyday left field duty could spell a platoon in right field between Jones and Heliot Ramos, who was brought in at the Trade Deadline largely because of his track record against left-handed pitching.
Jones is the superior defender and has shown flashes of being able to handle lefties, too, though Boone describes that area as “still a work in progress.” That trajectory has been steady; Jones said he is pleased with the improvements he has made over the last calendar year, with more to come.
“I’m very proud of myself, being able to make it to this level,” Jones said. “Nothing’s guaranteed in baseball. I think there’s more maturity in the sense of experiencing more things and not having questions about the future. Now I know about the things I need to work on, and the things I need to do to help the team win. I think that’s the most valuable thing I’ve gained.”
He has enjoyed the camaraderie, too, among rookies and veterans alike. During a recent off-day, he and several teammates found themselves in a Baltimore movie theatre, taking in a screening of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."
“It was good; typical superhero movie,” Jones said, with a grin. “It was solid stimulation. That’s all you can ask for.”