NEW YORK -- Spencer Jones is one step closer to the big leagues.
Jones, a big-swinging outfielder who has been described as a left-handed version of Aaron Judge, was promoted from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Jones is rated as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
He wasted no time making a strong impression in his first at-bat with the RailRiders on Friday night, crushing a home run against the Worcester Red Sox.
The move places Jones, a 24-year-old who was the organization’s first-round selection (25th overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft, within striking distance of a Major League debut that could occur in the second half of this year.
“He’s having a good season,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The size stands out; the athleticism, the speed and power really stands out, the ability to control the strike zone. He’s doing those things.
“Obviously he’s still a work in progress; he’s trying to continue to move that needle as an overall hitter. He’s done a really good job of that and earned this promotion. Hopefully he can continue to make gains now at Triple-A.”
At the time of his promotion, Jones led all Yankees Minor Leaguers and Eastern League batters with 16 home runs and a .594 slugging percentage.
Jones, who is batting .274/.389/.594 (48-for-175) with eight doubles, 32 RBIs, 32 walks, 70 strikeouts and 10 stolen bases, also paces all Yankees Minor Leaguers in OPS (.983), a mark that is good for second in the Eastern League.
Jones also ranked among the Eastern League leaders in on-base percentage (fourth), runs scored (seventh) and total bases (104, 10th).
He missed about three weeks in May with an intercostal injury but finished strong at Somerset; Jones ripped a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the Patriots’ 4-3 victory over the Erie SeaWolves on Thursday.
Over his last 15 games at Double-A, Jones was 22-for-56 (.393/.477/.768) with 17 runs, nine extra-base hits (three doubles, six homers), 13 RBIs, nine walks and three stolen bases.