TAMPA — Some devoted fans on hand at Steinbrenner Field watched a 2-hour, 56-minute Yankees win over the Blue Jays in the Grapefruit League before about a 45-minute pause, as the field was set up for a showdown between teams of top prospects.
Spencer Jones rewarded the few who remained.
The Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, again showed an ability to rise when the moment rises, smoking a pair of home runs in a 9-1 win over the Blue Jays’ prospects in the inaugural Spring Breakout game on Saturday.
“He’s a specimen,” winning pitcher Brock Selvidge said. “He’s awesome.”
The game was created to showcase some of the game’s stars of tomorrow, and Jones sure looked like one. First the lefty swinger drilled a slider from another lefty, No. 9 Blue Jays prospect Adam Macko, 399 feet into deep right-center in the first inning for the first runs of what would be a rout.
For his next act, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound center fielder — who has earned comparisons to Aaron Judge for obvious reasons — flashed his excellent speed by turning a chopper up the middle into an infield single in the third inning.
For his grand finale, Jones demolished a fifth-inning fastball from Fernando Perez 427 feet to center field — a drive that cleared a raised pitch clock — that stamped the game as his own.
“It was really cool that MLB provided a platform for a lot of us guys to get out here and play on television,” said Jones, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. “I think it was just a fun baseball game. We were all excited about it.”
Jones was a star of the Grapefruit League before getting sent out of camp March 5. In 11 games this spring, Jones has gone 7-for-17 with a homer, a double, three walks and no strikeouts for a 1.171 OPS.
The 22-year-old appears to have a nose for the spotlight. In his first spring at-bat, he destroyed a 470-foot home run that immediately displayed prodigious, Judgian power.
It would be a surprise if he found the major league spotlight this season, but Jones continues to impress. The California native and Vanderbilt product played 17 games last season with Double-A Somerset, where he likely will begin this season.
“For me, I feel good about the work I’ve put in,” Jones said. “I’m excited to see how it translates to a full season.”
Other notables from the game:
— Selvidge, the organization’s No. 11 prospect, pitched four scoreless, one-hit, one-walk innings and struck out eight.
The lefty, who touched High-A Hudson Valley last season, said he was especially grateful that his parents were in the stands.
“It was very special to have them here,” said Selvidge, who was a third-round pick in 2021 out of an Arizona high school. “That was kind of a game-changer for me, gave me that adrenaline and comfort. Not only am I doing it for myself and my team, I’m doing it for my family.”
— T.J. Rumfield, a first baseman who reached Double-A Somerset last season, blasted a deep home run to right-center.
— No. 9 prospect Henry Lalane struck out three and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.
— Infielder Caleb Durbin, who played 47 games with Somerset last season, singled, stole a base and doubled on a 2-for-3 night.