Inside The Pinstripes

What Yankees' Spencer Jones Spring Usage Really Says About His 2026 Role

The New York Yankees know Spencer Jones continues to inch closer to making his big league debut.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Feb 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones (78) hits a home run against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning in a Spring Training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
Feb 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones (78) hits a home run against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning in a Spring Training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

He may have only appeared in one Spring Training game so far, but New York Yankees prospect Spencer Jones has already made quite a statement.

Jones drew comparisons to the great Shohei Ohtani with his home run swing on February 21 against the Detroit Tigers.

Yankees fans had a chance to see their team play at George M. Steinbrenner Field for the first time in 2026 and Jones made sure they went home with something to talk about.

On a night where the Yankees scored 20 runs, Jones had a smile on his face as he contributed one of those in a big way. His solo home run is still being talked about as he re-enters the team's starting nine on February 23.

Spencer Jones Makes Immediate Statement - What's Next?

The Yankees are taking it easy with Jones so far as they're doing an every-other approach. This isn't new, and has been the standard for most teams in Spring Training. After sitting out the first game, Jones appeared in the second but rested in the third. Now, Jones is set to play in the Yankees fourth Spring Training game. Obviously, they're alternating him at this point in time.

Once the Yankees begin playing their split squad games, things could get interesting. The team will likely give Jones more playing time as Spring progresses, and rightfully so. The only real thing holding Jones back is his strikeout percentage.

Keep in mind, Jones struck out twice against the Tigers. Sure, he had the home run, but he struck out in both of his other at-bats. Obviously it's still early in Spring Training, but that was exactly what the Yankees didn't want to see out of their top outfield prospect.

Yankees Need Jones to be Ready

There have been numerous times where it seemed like this organization had run out of patience and was ready to move on from Jones. The 24-year old has had major strikeout issues the last two years, but at some point they either need to go all-in on his abilities or forget about him completely.

As long as the Yankees continue to get Jones playing time, that will show how confident they are he'll be a piece of their 2026 lineup. There's a strong chance he doesn't make the Opening Day roster, but they need him to be big league ready as Jones is one outfield injury away from hearing his name called.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz is a writer for On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network. Jordon is an accomplished writer for NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He contributes to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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