At 24, Spencer Jones began the 2025 season in the New York Yankees’ Double-A system. It’s a team he’s familiar with, having spent all of 2024 in Somerset. After one of the worst minor league performances one could ask for, the lefty knew he needed to make some changes. Luckily for Jones, his college days weren’t too far behind him as he’s picking up where he left off in 2023.
Spencer Jones on Making Adjustments
Jones has one of the most unique stories in minor league baseball. Last year, he hit .259 in AA with a respectable .788 slugging percentage, finishing the season with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs. Jones certainly had potential, but he struck out 200 times in 482 at-bats. He went down in history with the most strikeouts in a single season by a Yankees minor leaguer, ever.
Welcome back Spencer! 😁@Yankees‘ No. 2 prospect Spencer Jones drives home Jazz Chisholm Jr. in his first at-bat back from the injured list. pic.twitter.com/bAoNaM67Cl
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) May 29, 2025
Everything was clicking for the lefty when he was first drafted in 2022. Jones quickly worked his way from A to A+, followed by appearing in 17 AA games in 2023. He hit .344 in his first season in the Yankees organization with an OPS nearing 1.000. Those numbers began to slide the following year as he appeared in more games, but the strikeouts were still glaring. Jones struck out 155 times in 2023, followed by his 200-strikeout season.
“My swing did not feel right these last two years, and I knew it,” Jones said. “We found that a more open stance lets my hips be in a better spot to start. Then from there, I can uncoil a little bit faster and get a little bit more barrel speed.”
Upon his professional debut, Jones abandoned his stance from college. The 24-year-old’s time at Vanderbilt was a successful one, as he hit .370 with a 1.103 OPS in his 2022 season. With a huge jump to 60 RBIs in his final year in college, the 64 strikeouts in 230 at-bats were still glaring, but not as much of an issue as they would become.
“Now, getting back into it, it’s like the light bulb is back on. I absolutely love where I’m at … Since I debuted [with the Yankees’ Florida Complex League affiliate in 2022], this is as good as I’ve ever felt,” Jones added.
Jones missed some time in 2025 as he was out almost a month with an intercostal injury. As he returns and continues to get healthier, he’s taking detailed notes in order to return to form. The injury certainly didn’t help get him back on track, but Jones needed the time to take a step back to realize what adjustments needed to be made.