Yankees’ Spencer Jones blasts home run in his first spring training game

Even after coming off a tough season in the minors, Spencer Jones knows how to start big league camp with a bang. 

For the second straight year, the Yankees’ top outfield prospect homered in his first Grapefruit League game, as Jones belted an opposite-field, two-run shot Saturday in a 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. 

“Not a lot of guys hit a ball like that,” manager Aaron Boone said of the curveball that Jones took the other way off the bat at 104.5 mph against Blue Jays minor league righty Eric Pardinho. 

Jones, the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2022, had a strong first big league camp last spring before taking his lumps during the regular season, striking out 200 times in 544 plate appearances at Double-A while posting a .789 OPS. 

Spencer Jones belts a two-run homer in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 spring training loss to the Blue Jays on Feb. 22, 2025.

But the 6-foot-6 Jones and the Yankees are hoping he can use that season to his advantage in the long run as it forced him to make some adjustments — including some to his swing late in the year — along the way. 

“I took a lot of positives from last year,” Jones said after going 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout looking. “I knew when I was hitting the ball, good things were happening and defensively I was getting the job done and I played a lot of games. That was the most important thing for me. 

As for cutting down his strikeouts, Jones said he planned on having closer communication with his hitting coaches between each at-bat. 

“Talking about what I’m looking for, what pitches I’m hunting and getting me in that right headspace to attack the pitches I’m looking for,” Jones said. “I feel like when I’m in the right position to hit, I have a great eye and that’s what I’m working on.”

Spencer Jones rounds the bases after belting a two-run homer in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ spring training loss to the Blue Jays.

Despite the rough 2024, the Yankees still believe in the potential of Jones, who since he was drafted has garnered comparisons to Aaron Judge because of their size. 

“The thing with Spencer is, the ceiling is enormous because it’s real defense, it’s real power, it’s real speed,” Boone said. “It looks like he has the ability to control the strike zone. But it’s just going to be harnessing that size a little bit, and that swing.” 

Carlos Rodón is bringing his beard back and, he hopes, some of the best pitching he did with it. 

The left-hander’s command was not sharp in his spring debut Saturday, giving up five hits and three runs across 2 ²/₃ innings and 48 pitches.

Carlos Rodon delivers a pitch in the first inning of the Yankees’ spring training loss to the Blue Jays.

But he took it as another building block to get ready for the season, coming off a solid year in which he posted a 3.96 ERA across 32 starts. 

“I set a high standard for myself,” Rodón said. “I know I can be better. I pitched well last year, but I wouldn’t be the player I am if I didn’t think I could be better than last year and years past. Obviously, there’s a lot of variables that go into that, but I know what I’m capable of and I really want to show that. I want to show the reason why the Yankees signed me.” 

Jones’ home run was set up by Everson Pereira extending the inning with the Yankees’ first ABS challenge of the spring.

Everson Pereira taps his helmet challenging a strike call that would have struck him out and ended the sixth inning. Instead, he walked and later scored on Spencer Jones’ two-run homer.

On a full count with two outs, home-plate umpire Adam Beck called a strike three, but Pereira tapped his helmet to challenge the pitch, which replays showed was outside of the zone.

So Pereira took first base and then watched Jones go deep. 

“I thought it was a good moment in the game to ask for a replay there,” Pereira said through an interpreter.