New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones has received a rather surprising prediction amid his declining stock.
There was a time when New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones looked like a can't-miss prospect, but things have certainly changed.
Now already 24 years old with a birthday coming up in May, Jones has still yet to crack the big-league level, and his stock has been dropping like a rock.
Jones did not even make MLB.com's top 100 prospects list, and some don't even feel he is on the fringe, either.
But could Jones ultimately make the Yankees' roster heading into 2026?
It would be exceedingly difficult for the former first-round pick to actually break camp with the team, but that is exactly what Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media is expecting.
Wilson is predicting that Jones will beat out Jasson Dominguez for the fourth outfielder spot, mainly because of his defensive advantages.
"Unlike Dominguez, Jones is a defensive savant who covers ground like a gazelle, a necessity in the massive left field/or center of Yankee Stadium. Jones brings elite speed and defense immediately, while Dominguez gives you … well, questions," Wilson wrote. "If Jones beats him out — and I believe he will — Dominguez becomes a redundancy."
New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.This probably says more about Dominguez than Jones at this point. Dominguez was a major liability in left field last season, and he will be forced to come off the bench next spring with New York's starting outfield consisting of Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge.
Jones posted impressive numbers in the minor leagues last season, slashing .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs and 80 RBI over 506 plate appearances.
The problem, however, was the lefty's strikeout rate, as he fanned 179 times. That was good for a 35.4 percent punchout rate. For reference, Ryan McMahon led the MLB with a 32.3 percent strikeout rate in 2025, and that's in the majors.
Is it possible that Jones would be fanning close to 40 percent of the time in the bigs? Based on what we have seen from him in the minor leagues, we cannot discount the possibility.
At some point, though, the Yankees will need to see what they have in Jones. He really is no longer even a prospect anymore. It's hard to consider a player a prospect when they are turning 25 in three months.
Perhaps New York will finally give Jones a long-awaited opportunity in 2026.
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