The New York Yankees are navigating life without Aaron Judge with a level of resilience that has impressed everyone around the organization. Tuesday night in Cleveland was another example, as New York edged the Guardians 3-2 to take the series.
The win was built on pitching, timely hitting, and a moment in the second inning that nobody in the Yankees dugout will forget anytime soon.
Spencer Jones stepped to the plate with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on base and turned around an 87 mph cutter from Slade Cecconi, sending it 443 feet to the deepest part of Progressive Field. The ball bounced off the wall and landed in the protected shrubbery behind center field. His first career home run. Two runs. A lead the Yankees would not give back.
And from first base, Chisholm needed a moment to process what he had just seen.
Chisholm’s Reaction Said Everything
GettyJazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
Chisholm was standing on first base when Jones made contact. The sound off the bat stopped him.
“Being at first, I thought it was Aaron Judge when he hit that ball,” Chisholm said. “It blasted off the bat. That was sick.”
For a player to be compared to a three-time MVP in the moment of his first career home run is about as good an endorsement as a young player can get. Jones is 6-foot-7 and built for this kind of power. The Minor League numbers backed it up. Thirty-five home runs across Double-A and Triple-A last season, including ten in a twelve-game stretch. Thirteen more in 43 Triple-A games this season.
Tuesday night was just the first time he got to show it on the biggest stage.
Jones on the Moment
GettySpencer Jones of the New York Yankees.
Jones was not entirely sure how to process it at first. He looked into the dugout after the ball left the bat and found nobody looking back at him.
“I looked in the dugout and no one was looking at me,” Jones said. “It was a surreal feeling being able to high-five the third base coach and come back to the dugout and everybody was so jacked up.”
He put the ball in a Ziploc bag. The ball landed in the shrubbery beyond center field, which made retrieval straightforward.
“Lucky to get it back,” he said.
Jones was also direct about what the moment meant for his confidence heading forward. “It felt good to get my swing off the way I know that I can,” he said. “Fun getting the first one out of the way. Proverbial monkey is off the back, so we’re ready to go.”
What Boone Said About the Yankees Prospect
Manager Aaron Boone has watched Jones since he arrived, and his assessment of the power was matter-of-fact.
“That’s a line drive to center for most people,” Boone said. “The thing is, he hits it and you kind of know where it’s going because you know of his power.”
Jones has been one of the bright spots of an injury-hit stretch for the Yankees. Since being recalled from Triple-A to cover right field in the absences of Judge and Jasson Dominguez, he has delivered his first career three-hit game, a clutch ninth-inning single against the American League’s best reliever, and now a 443-foot home run that Chisholm initially mistook for his injured captain.
Final Word for the Yankees
Spencer Jones gave the Yankees exactly what they needed on Tuesday night. A big swing. A lead. And a moment that reminded everyone what this roster can do when the right players step up at the right time.
Judge is coming back. Until then, Jones is making the most of every opportunity.
Chisholm thought it was Judge. That might be the best compliment Jones ever receives.
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