The New York Yankees put on a comedy of errors on Wednesday, shamefully losing a series against the first-place Toronto Blue Jays and raising tensions in the final days before the July 31 trade deadline.
New York needs reinforcements on the infield and across the pitching staff, but in a market with very few sellers, prices could skyrocket.
Outfielder Spencer Jones might not be the Yankees' best prospect, but looking and playing a lot like Aaron Judge makes him the prized possession of the fanbase. As opposing scouts hone in on the farm system and general manager Brian Cashman makes some tough decisions, Jones is bound to become the talk of New York's deadline. On Thursday, he made yet another statement.
Spencer Jones can't stop hitting
Jones did what he was supposed to in his second Double-A stint. He tore the cover off the ball and earned a promotion to Triple-A Scranton. His momentum hasn't stopped there.
Entering Thursday's contest against the Rochester Red Wings (the Washington Nationals' affiliate), Jones had hit 10 home runs in 18 games, posting a 224 wRC+ and a .387 batting average.
Then he one-upped himself three times over.
Jones, sporting a new batting stance, hit an opposite-field home run in the top of the first inning. In the top of the third, he did it again, taking a fastball to left field for his 28th home run of the MiLB season and his second of the game. Two innings later, he went to dead center for his third dinger in as many at-bats.
It was an explosive outing and showcased the best parts of Jones' profile. He hits the ball harder than just about any other prospect on the planet, he can retain power to the opposite field, and when he wasn't destroying baseballs, he made an impressive sliding catch.
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However, Jones isn't the best position player in this system (that title belongs to George Lombard Jr.), and he won't be the saving grace to replace Jasson Dominguez or deepen the lineup. He may not be the big chip for New York to deal at the deadline, either.
Jones has struck out on over 30% of his plate appearances this season. His bat-to-ball skills are currently a tier below Joey Gallo, who is currently trying to extend his career as a pitcher. For reference, there are 14 players with at least 100 plate appearances and an in-zone contact rate below 75%. Only five -- Matt Wallner, Rafael Devers, Ronald Acuña Jr., Oneil Cruz, and Luke Raley -- have posted an above-average wRC+.
Cruz is having the worst offensive year of his career, Raley and Wallner almost exclusively hit with platoon advantages, and Devers has plunged into two terrible slumps, buoyed by an MVP-level May. This is a dangerous line to toe, and nearly impossible to do without elite power.
Jones, against Triple-A pitching, is currently running a 67.9% in-zone contact rate.
Calling him up in the middle of a pennant race would be an act of self-destruction. Under the weight of expectations and MLB pitching, the damage might be permanent. Judge was able to recover from a dismal first stint in the big leagues. He also never struck out 30% of the time as a prospect and posted better contact rates after his Major League promotion.
Jones' potential is hard to define. Good center field defense and a knack for stealing bases mean his floor to produce WAR is high. But at the plate, he simply isn't ready. His ability to blister baseballs is a positive sign and the biggest ingredient in his ludicrous upside. Until he looks better under the hood, though, none of it matters all that much for MLB production.
Ultimately, if New York thinks it can win the World Series, Jones cannot be considered untouchable, regardless of how much (justified) excitement each home run creates.
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