Yankees Should Start Worrying as Spencer Jones Concerns Mount

It's time for the New York Yankees to start worrying about outfielder Spencer Jones.

That's because the slugger's rookie slump is getting worse, not better, during the dog days of summer.

He went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, dropping his batting average to .221. The 25-year-old is 0-for-11 over his last three games, and that comes at a time when the Yankees are desperate for offense.

The next Aaron Judge?

When the Yankees drafted Jones in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he was quickly compared to Aaron Judge. And it made sense, with the frame of the 6'7" Jones mirroring the 6'6" Judge.

And Jones quickly delivered down on the farm, cranking a combined 35 home runs in 2025 while splitting time between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

But that success hasn't carried over on the big-league level, despite getting an extended run with the Yankees while Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger sit on the injured list.

Where should Jones hit in the lineup?

Before trading for Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos, Yankees manager Aaron Boone toyed with Jones batting high in the lineup, but with little success.

The slugger went 0-for-3 as the No. 3 hitter and 0-for-10 batting cleanup. Yes, those are small sample sets. But they don't exactly instill confidence.

New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones — Jul 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Spencer Jones (78) singles against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However when batting sixth, Jones is hitting .281. He's even better in the 7-hole, with a 1.140 OPS while going 8-for-23 with a pair of home runs.

It's that power potential which led the Yankees to keeping Jones on the roster while demoting shortstop Anthony Volpe and outfielder Jasson Dominguez this week.

As a team, the Yankees are hitting .203 with a .620 OPS since the All-Star break. Both of those are the worst in all of baseball and New York is banking on Jones' bat to help turn the tide.

Reserve judgement on Jones

Look, Jones has a grand total of 104 big-league at-bats. It's certainly much too early to pass judgement on what kind of player he will be.

But it's becoming clear that unless something changes quickly in the batter's box, Jones will have wasted this opportunity to prove he's ready for prime time.

The Yankees have been coy and cautious about updates and timelines for the club's walking wounded. It isn't hard to imagine New York demoting Jones as soon as Judge, Stanton or Bellinger is ready to return to the lineup.

If and/or when that happens, it will be tempting to write off Jones as another failed prospect.

Just keep in mind the Yankees will have an open outfield spot in 2027 since Trent Grisham will be a free agent. Which means that regardless of his 2026 debut, Jones will get at least one more shot to show he's built for long-term success in the Bronx.

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