NEW YORK -- There are a few ways to characterize the decision to start Spencer Jones at the No. 3 spot in the lineup against the Mariners on Wednesday night, but one of the words that comes to mind is “belief.”
With both Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger sidelined in June and late July, respectively, Jones has received considerable run at the corner outfield spots, and up to this point, he’s been slotted in the back half of the Yankees’ lineup.
Jones’ most recent stint in the Majors has been considerably smoother than the stretch after his initial callup on May 8 -- thanks to a more consistent run of games in June and July -- but he entered Wednesday evening hitting just .129 in nine games in August (35 plate appearances).
Nevertheless, manager Aaron Boone wrote Jones’ name into the third spot, largely hunting future matchups with seven left-handed hitters in the lineup. The lanky slugger rewarded him with two doubles and three RBIs (with a hit-by-pitch and stolen base for good measure) in the Yankees’ 10-5 win over the Mariners, his second career multi-extra-base-hit game.
“I think the game slows down on your own terms as long as you are able to recognize that it’s speeding up on you, right?” Jones said before the game. “I think the thing that helps the most is the familiar faces and getting to know these guys in Spring Training, knowing that we’re all pulling the same rope.
“I think as you settle and recognize the ways you can help the team win, a lot of things slow down for you. But just having the people you know and trust helps a lot.”
Jones combined with Trent Grisham (who homered twice and doubled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning) and Ben Rice for eight RBIs to help New York secure the series victory. The offensive outburst from the top of the order helped carry the Yankees to their fourth consecutive comeback win.
It wasn’t just the clutch timing of Jones’ swings that was encouraging, but also the direction of his spray chart. After the Mariners staked out a three-run lead in the third inning, Jones came up with two outs and two on following Rice’s walk. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Jones sliced a fastball at the bottom of the zone off the left-field wall -- with a 102.2 mph exit velocity -- to bring the Yankees within a run.
“You sensed as the at-bat went on, he eventually was getting a bead on him [Bryce Miller],” Boone said. “Miller beat him up with the fastball for the punchout the first time against him. But I thought the more he saw him in that second at-bat, laid off some tough ones -- kind of feel like he found his timing with the fastball. …
“Really big at-bat that got us obviously right back in the game, and then the guys took it from there.”
Then, following Grisham’s solo blast and Rice’s double in the fifth frame, Jones jumped another fastball from Miller, crushing it off the base of the right-center-field wall to tie the score at 5. This heater came on the first pitch of the at-bat, leaving Jones’ bat at an exit velocity of 105.9 mph.
The pair of doubles, along with his hit-by-pitch in the seventh frame, improved Jones’ batting average with runners in scoring position to .318 in 22 at-bats, with a 1.035 OPS and 12 RBIs. It’s still a growing sample size, but the nature of the types of at-bats that he’s taking in clutch situations is cause for optimism.
“I think something that I learned young that I’ve always liked was that when there’s runners on base, there’s really no pressure on you at the plate,” Jones said. “It’s more so on the pitcher on the mound. … Just recognizing that the guys are going to try and get you out. They’re going to put stuff over the plate, as long as you do your job and don’t go chasing. You’ll get a pitch to hit.”
That relaxed tenor that Jones exhibits is palpable to his teammates. Rice characterized the 6-foot-7 right fielder as “always super composed,” with Grisham seconding the motion by noticing that Jones “always has a smile on his face.”
There seems to be the sense that the rapid waters have settled for Jones in this go-round at the Major League level -- armed with a few rediscovered physical “cues” at the plate and a bit of playing time security to figure things out.
And it’s all manifesting in an improved version of himself that’s letting things come to him.
“I think I just needed to settle in a little bit. I needed to slow things down,” Jones said. “I think [the] first time around, you try so hard to do a lot of things. And for me, I’m a chill bird. I just need to kind of relax and allow myself to do as I do, and not try to force anything.”