Spencer Jones thrilled to see Ben Rice’s Yankees success as his own chance looms
ARLINGTON, Texas — It was not a huge surprise that a lefty swinger with power rose from Double-A Somerset all the way to The Bronx this season and has run with a major league job.
But the identity of that slugger has been unpredictable.
It was No. 12 prospect Ben Rice who crushed minor league pitching until he earned his promotion, beating No. 2 prospect and former Somerset teammate Spencer Jones to a debut — as Jones has watched from afar with a smile.
“It’s incredible, right?” Jones said of Rice, who broke through when Anthony Rizzo went down. “You’re just now starting to see the player that I’ve played with for the last two years. It’s somebody who’s a very tough at-bat every time he’s up there. … It’s just cool to watch him succeed.”
Jones will not say so, but he hopes he is not too far behind his buddy, whom he had just texted that morning.
Jones’ presence at the All-Star Futures Game, in which he went 0-for-1 with a walk and a steal, represented both hope and a yearning for more: For a second straight year, the star prospect had performed well enough to earn the trip, but for a second time, he earned that trip from below Triple-A (last year from High-A Hudson Valley, this year Somerset).
He is still searching for his first taste of both Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and, of course, the majors.
The 6-foot-6, 23-year-old has been hailed as the lefty Aaron Judge for obvious reasons: His power is prolific and was on display repeatedly during spring training, and his speed, center-field defense and throwing arm also are excellent.
“His height and his size, it’s a little intimidating,” said Mets prospect Brandon Sproat, who pitched against Jones in college and in Double-A. “You look up and it’s like, jeez, he’s tall. He’s got great tools.”
But Jones — like Judge, who struck out in 44.2 percent of his at-bats in his first season in the majors — has struggled to consistently make contact.
In his first 73 games with Somerset, Jones has struck out 124 times (37.1 percent).
It is an area he needs to improve, although this season has been one of improvement thus far.
Fresh off an impressive Grapefruit League showing, Jones hit just .206 with a .594 OPS through May 30 with Somerset.
Since May 31, he has a .269/.335/.510 slash line with eight home runs in 36 games, reminders of his immense potential.
Jones pointed at an approach and mindset change rather than a swing tweak that has helped him turn a corner.
“For me, it’s trust,” Jones said from Globe Life Field, where the National League won, 6-1. “It’s not thinking too much about mechanical things or whatever and just going out there ready to compete. It’s something that all players learn at some point, and I’m starting to figure that out.”
Helping Jones figure it out is Dave Winfield.
The former Yankees slugger met Jones at last year’s Futures Game and again talked hitting with Jones during a batting practice session before the game.
“It’s cool to have someone like that looking out for you,” Jones said of the Hall of Famer, who himself is 6-foot-6. “We were just talking little things. He was a great hitter at a similar size. So I was just picking his brain.”
The uptick, the tools and the ability will put him on other teams’ radars at the trade deadline, a topic Jones sidestepped: “I’m not focused on those things,” he said.
If he continues to hit as he has since June began, he could jump on his own team’s radar.
The Yankees have watched Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham struggle at the major league level, and No. 1 prospect Jasson Dominguez is out until at least late August.
Jones is trying not to obsess about what it would be like to follow in Rice’s footsteps.
“I’m just going to go out there and do my job every single day for now in Somerset,” Jones said. “When opportunities come, they’ll come. But for now, I’m just working.”
Lefty Brock Selvidge, who had been invited to the game, was scratched with an injury.
