Spencer Jones' early Yankees spring training work looks extremely bleak

Remember Spencer Jones' torrid summer stretch last year? The six-foot-seven behemoth hit .419 in the month of July with 1.423 OPS and 11 homers after recently being promoted to Scranton, tantalizing fans and looking undeniable in the process. New York Yankees fans took note.

Jones has always been a promising but divisive figure. Like Aaron Judge when he was coming up, the supersized frame brought questions about the ability to consistently get the bat to the ball, given his long levers. But as Judge was able to answer those questions, Jones has dealt with a nasty K problem throughout his young professional career. Still, in terms of raw athleticism, Jones can do things that even Judge can't, possessing mind-boggling speed for a man his size.

Early on in the offseason, we got wind of Jones putting in extra work in preparation for spring training. It was encouraging, and it made you think that this might be the year that he breaks through. After all, Jasson Dominguez struggled in key facets last season, and Jones can actually play center field, meaning he could supplant The Martian as the fourth outfielder. He'd need to show out in Tampa to do so.

Now that we're here and getting a chance to see Jones in team activities, it's unfortunate that the early returns are really rough around the edges.

Top Yankees prospect Spencer Jones looks very rough around the edges early on in spring training

It's just batting practice, but we've seen a lot of concerning signs from Jones in the early going. He has a clear uppercut in his swing, which, when combined with his size, makes it very hard to make consistent contact. You can see how evident it is on this pop-up to short.

Here's a clip of his full at-bat against Yerry De Los Santos. Notice how he sets up on his front foot and how uncomfortable he looks. It's almost like a baby deer learning how to walk. He did battle and lay off a handful of pitches out of the zone, but ultimately the journeyman reliever struck him out.

Here he is striking out against Drake Fellows. If you don't know who Drake Fellows is, all you need to know is that the 28-year-old is the definition of spring training fodder. Also, can someone please get Jones a batting helmet that fits?

It's obviously still very early in the spring, and it's reasonable to think players are just trying to get comfortable and knock off some rust. However, that doesn't completely jive with the report from December about all the extra work Jones had been putting in.

There's surely cause for concern. The most common phrase attached to Jones is boom-or-bust, and his 2025 campaign was the epitome of that. While everyone remembers the heater he went on over the summer, they forget how he went ice cold and hit just .210/.281/.375 with a 42.3% strikeout rate over his final 46 games.

This all begs the question: should the Yankees trade Jones before his value craters? Could he be completely exposed this spring? And if the Yankees did eventually decide to trade him away, would they live to regret the decision?

One step at a time. Right now, Jones is someone to keep a close eye on as the concern meter inches upward.