ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s not all that surprising that the powerful left-handed swing pitcher has flourished in the major leagues this season, having been promoted from Double-A Somerset to the Bronx.
But it was impossible to predict who that power hitter would be.
It was No. 12 ranked prospect Ben Rice who outshone the minor league pitchers and earned his promotion. He beat No. 2 ranked prospect Spencer Jones, his former Somerset teammate, in his debut, while Jones looked on with a smile from afar.
“It’s just incredible,” Jones said of Rice, who broke out when Anthony Rizzo was injured. “You’re finally seeing the player that we’ve been playing with for the last two years, and he’s a tough guy to play against every time he steps up to the plate. … It’s just cool to see him have the success.”
Jones says no, but hopes he’s not too far behind the friend he’d just texted that morning.
Jones’ appearance in the All-Star Futures Game was 0-for-1, with one walk and one stolen base, but it showed hope and a hunger for more. This was the second straight year that the star candidate has made the trip, but the second time he’s played below Triple-A (last year he was at High-A Hudson Valley, this year he was at Somerset).
He’s still exploring his first experiences both in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and, of course, in the major leagues.
The 6-foot-6, 23-year-old is being called the left-handed Aaron Judge for obvious reasons. He has plenty of power, which he showed off plenty of times during spring training, plus speed, center field ability and a good throwing arm.
“His height and his size are kind of intimidating,” said Mets prospect Brandon Sproat, who played against Jones in college and at Double-A. “You look up and you’re like, ‘Oh, man, he’s tall.’ He’s got great talent.”
But like Judge, who struck out in 44.2% of his at-bats in his first year in the majors, Jones has struggled to make contact consistently.
Jones struck out 124 times (37.1%) in his first 73 games with Somerset.
He has shown improvement so far this season, but this is an area he needs to improve in.
Fresh off an impressive Grapefruit League performance, Jones was batting just .206 with a .594 OPS through May 30 for Somerset.
Since May 31, he’s batting .269/.335/.510 with eight home runs in 36 games, a reminder of his immense potential.
Jones credited a change in approach and mindset, rather than any swing tweaks, for bringing about the turnaround.
“For me, it’s trust,” Jones said at Globe Life Field, where the National League won 6-1, “and not think too much about mechanical stuff or anything like that, just going out ready to compete. That’s something every player learns at some point, and I’m starting to understand it.”
Helping Jones figure that out is Dave Winfield.
The former Yankees slugger met with Jones at last year’s Futures Game and then discussed hitting with Jones again during pregame batting practice.
“It’s nice to have a guy like that care about you,” Jones said of the 6-foot-6 Hall of Famer. “We were just chatting about stuff. He was a good hitter, about the same size, so I was just listening to what he had to say.”
His form, tools and ability will likely draw the attention of other teams at the trade deadline, but Jones declined to address the topic, saying, “That’s not what I’m focused on.”
If he continues hitting like he has since the start of June, he may catch the attention of his team.
The Yankees have watched Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham struggle in the major leagues, and No. 1 prospect Jasson Dominguez is out until at least late August.
Jones tries not to obsess about what it would be like to follow in Rice’s footsteps.
“Right now I’m just going to work every day at Somerset,” Jones said. “If an opportunity comes along, it will come, but for now I’m just doing my job.”
Left-hander Brock Selvidge, who had been invited to play, withdrew due to injury.
