Yankees make timely move as prospect promotion fuels trade speculation
The Yankees are sending Spencer Jones to Triple-A—right on schedule, or just in time, depending on how you look at it.
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Of course, this move is a reward for Jones starting to dominate at Double-A. It also raises his visibility on the trade market just as it's starting to heat up.
As we wrote yesterday, Jones is talented enough to headline a major trade—and risky enough that the Yankees could sell high. Promoting him now could serve two purposes: to continue his development and showcase him to potential buyers.
The 6-foot-7 outfielder was promoted from Double-A Somerset to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, per SNY's Andy Martino. It's a deserved bump for the 2022 first-round pick out of Vanderbilt, who put up video game numbers in June and has 16 homers and 10 stolen bases on the season.
Jones' raw tools have never been in doubt. What's changed is his ability to tap into them more consistently. The Yankees had him repeat Double-A this year as a 24-year-old after a strikeout-heavy 2023 season in which he fanned 200 times in 124 games. So far, the reset looks like it worked. His strikeout rate is down, his walk rate is up, and the power has returned with force—he slugged over .600 in June and posted an OPS north of 1.000.
New York Yankees outfielder Spencer JonesNathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
He's not Aaron Judge. He's a lefty, for starters. But the frame, the athleticism, and the power-speed combo? It's easy to see why the Yankees are intrigued. He's gone 10-for-12 in stolen base attempts and continues to show strong instincts in the field.
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There's still plenty to iron out. Jones needed time to adjust when he first arrived at Double-A, and Triple-A pitching will bring another layer of challenge. But if the swing-and-miss stays manageable, the upside is obvious.
Could he one day share an outfield with Judge in the Bronx? Sure. But this summer, the more pressing question might be whether he's still in the organization by August.
For now, he's one stop closer.
Related: Is This Yankees Prospect Too Talented to Trade or Too Risky to Keep?
Related: Weekend Series at Yankee Stadium Comes With a Familiar Twist
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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