Yankees Should Take Notice of Spencer Jones’ Numbers Against Southpaws

Spencer Jones has put up great numbers against left-handed pitchers, and Aaron Boone should give him more opportunities against them.

New York Yankees left fielder Spencer Jones has surprisingly had success against left-handed pitching this season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Early in the season, manager Aaron Boone was asked whether the New York Yankees would play Ben Rice against lefties. Very quickly, Rice started getting reps against them, and now he's the everyday DH and first baseman. There isn't even a thought about platooning him. Spencer Jones is slowly finding himself in the same position.

In a short sample size of 29 plate appearances against lefties, Jones is slashing .320/.414/.720. He has eight hits, a double, a triple, two homers, and three walks. This is across 18 games. While it could be an instance of Jones having some early luck, the argument against that is just the number of extra-base hits he has had.

The most notable one came against Chris Sale. Sale has neutralized left-handed hitters all season, but when Jones went up to bat against him, he crushed a ball into the gap for a triple. Sale's numbers against lefties are staggering, too. Lefty sluggers are slashing .237/.293/.342 against him, with just seven doubles, a triple, and a homer. Making such vociferous contact off Sale speaks to Jones' abilities as a hitter.

SPENCER JONES TIES THE GAME WITH A TRIPLE pic.twitter.com/l8przZuyOm

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 8, 2026

This is why, when Boone had the ice-cold Heliot Ramos hit for Jones in their 1-0 loss to the Mariners on Thursday, it didn't make sense. It has less to do with Ramos, either. Jones has proved himself thus far, and the only thing that Ramos has over him as a player at this point is what part of the plate he stands on.

Boone, of course, defended the Ramos decision.

"That's one of the reasons we brought Heliot Ramos in was his presence against lefties," Boone said, according to the New York Post's Mark W. Sanchez.

Fitting Spencer Jones in the lineup when guys return

One thing about Jones is that, until Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton return, few in this lineup outside of Rice can change a game with one swing of the bat. That's another reason to keep him in a game — especially if the Yankees struggle to scratch across runs every night.

The New York Yankees are waiting for designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (left) and right fielder Aaron Judge (right) to return from the IL. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Jones makes contact, a ball can go a long way. Under the hood, he has an average exit velocity of 94.3 MPH, a 14.5% barrel rate, and a 58.7% hard-hit rate. He also has one of the fastest bats in the game, with an average bat speed of 77.7 MPH.

Jones, who has the potential to be a cornerstone player, will lose some at-bats by the time Judge, Stanton, and Cody Bellinger return, but if he keeps playing the way he has, it'll make Boone's decision harder. He may even steal some postseason bats too, depending on how things go for Stanton, who hasn't played a game since it was still Spring here in New York.