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’ 3-2 win over the Guardians at Progressive Field.
“That’s a line drive to center for most people,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The thing is, he hits it and you kind of know where it's going thanks to his power. Really impressive. Good to see him put it together.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was standing on first base when Jones hit the blast, had a more specific take on Jones’ power.
“I thought it was Aaron Judge who hit that,” Chisholm said, smiling. “It just blasted off the bat.”
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.
“I knew what I was looking for and got a pitch I saw well and put a good swing on it,” Jones said.
It was the third-longest home run by a Yankee this season – behind 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).
Not only was that homer an example of Jones’ incredible power, but it helped him stay out of needing to negotiate with a fan. He hit the ball so far, it landed in the shrubs in Progressive Field’s Heritage Park.
The Yankees secured the ball, which was sitting in a ziplock bag in Jones’ locker after the game.
“It felt good to get a good barrel and get my swing off the way I know I can,” Jones said. “It felt good to get the first one.”
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.
“I looked in the dugout [when I was rounding the bases] but no one was looking at me,” Jones said. “Surreal moment.”
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.
That homer set the table for Chisholm’s go-ahead home run, which featured a much more adventurous trot around the bases that made Jones’ look like a sprint.
“[Chisholm] has a lot of swag,” Jones said. “Maybe it’ll rub off on me some day.”
Jones showcased the first example of the kind of power he has and showed that he’s clearly ready for the big leagues.
“He reminds me of the big guys,” Chisholm said. “That’s why he’s one of them.”