For the third straight year the Yankees have used their first-round pick on a college bat, selecting Vanderbilt outfielder Spencer Jones with the No. 25 overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Jones, a former two-way prospect, was a 31st-round pick of the Angels in 2019, but after deciding to honor his commitment to Vandy, he had surgery to repair a fractured elbow and then had Tommy John surgery in July 2020.
Now, the 6-foot-7 Jones is solely a right fielder – stop us if you’ve heard this before, the Yankees taking a tall, former California prep star outfielder in the late first round – and is coming off a strong season where he slashed .370/.460/.644 with 12 homers, 60 RBI, 21 doubles, 14 steals, and 62 runs scored in 61 games.
Jones was named Second Team All-SEC after that performance, and here is a snippet of his MLB.com scouting report:
“He has the potential to hit for average while producing solid power, but he also swings and misses frequently against non-fastballs. Though he generates plenty of bat speed and has impressive strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame, his size also creates a naturally long left-handed swing. He uses the opposite field almost to a fault, rarely turning on pitches, and there are concerns about whether he'll be able to handle quality fastballs on the inner half. Very athletic for his size, Jones shows average speed out of the batter's box, is quicker once he gets going and has some basestealing ability. He covers ground in right field and has regained average arm strength. He also played some first base last year at Vanderbilt and is a solid defender there.”
The No. 25 slot comes with a bonus value of $2.88 million, and the Yankees have one more selection on Day 1, that being No. 61 overall in the second round.
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