Spencer Jones entered the 2026 season as one of the New York Yankees‘ most intriguing young players. The towering 6-foot-7 outfielder generated comparisons to Aaron Judge because of his rare combination of size, athleticism and left-handed power, and many believed he would become a cornerstone of the franchise’s future.
Only a few months later, however, evaluators appear far less convinced.
According to Bob Klapisch of NJ.com, multiple scouts have raised significant concerns about Jones’ long-term outlook with the Yankees, with some even suggesting the organization should explore trading him before the Aug. 3 deadline while his prospect value remains intact.
One veteran evaluator offered perhaps the harshest assessment.
“Trade Jones while he still has some value,” one talent evaluator told NJ.com. “He’s Joey Gallo 2.0.”
The comparison is impossible for Yankees fans to ignore given Gallo’s well-documented struggles in New York, where elite raw power was overshadowed by overwhelming strikeout totals.
Strikeout Concerns Continue to Follow Jones
GettySpencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees steps to the plate in his first major league at bat in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on May 08, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
The concerns aren’t centered on Jones’ athletic ability. Few prospects possess his physical tools.
Instead, scouts believe his swing currently has too many holes against major league pitching.
According to NJ.com, opposing pitchers have consistently attacked Jones with high-velocity fastballs on the inner half of the plate, exposing an uppercut swing path that has produced too many empty swings.
“It’s a pretty glaring hole,” another scout told NJ.com. “(Opposing teams) have figured that out and Jones hasn’t made an adjustment.”
The numbers support those concerns.
Jones has appeared in two separate stints with the Yankees this season, hitting .233 with two home runs, seven RBIs and a .687 OPS across 73 at-bats. More alarming has been his strikeout rate. He has struck out 34 times in 82 plate appearances, producing a whiff rate of roughly 42%, one of the highest among Yankees hitters with meaningful playing time.
Those struggles ultimately led New York to option him back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this month.
Triple-A Production Keeps the Debate Alive
GettySpencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees celebrates his second inning home run against the Chicago White Sox with his teammates in the dugout at Yankee Stadium on June 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Despite his major league struggles, Jones has continued to flash the immense power that made him a first-round pick in 2022.
Earlier this season, he put together one of the most impressive offensive stretches in Triple-A, launching towering home runs at exit velocities exceeding 117 mph while ranking among the International League leaders in home runs.
That production helps explain why the Yankees remain in a difficult position.
On one hand, Jones still owns tremendous upside, and some within the organization have pointed to Judge’s own early-career strikeout issues as evidence that patience can pay off.
On the other hand, scouts cited by NJ.com believe there’s an important distinction. Judge’s strikeout rates in the minors never reached the same extreme levels that have followed Jones throughout his professional career.
The Yankees also have another young outfielder, Jasson Domínguez, firmly in their long-term plans, making center field decisions even more complicated heading into 2027.
Whether Jones eventually becomes an impact power hitter in the Bronx or develops elsewhere may ultimately depend on Brian Cashman’s willingness to bet that the swing-and-miss issues can still be corrected before another club decides they’re worth taking a chance on.
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