Spencer Jones is utterly torching Triple-A (and proving why Yankees waited so long)

Just try to find a flaw in New York Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones' game now, analysts! We dare yo -- ok, yeah. You did it, you found the one flaw, congratulations. But even as Jones' strikeout percentage remains eternally worrisome to the people who keep it stuck in their craw at all times, even the detractors can't deny he's hitting the absolute juice out of the ball these days.

And things haven't changed a lick since he was promoted to Triple-A after portions of three seasons with the Somerset Patriots. In fact, Jones might be scratching an even higher ceiling.

After hitting 16 homers in 49 Double-A games this season — and combining that with his footspeed and defensive acumen — Jones has already cranked five bombs with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his first 10 contests. When you tack on his three doubles and eight walks, he's got a 1.315 OPS that looks gorgeous in a tiny sample.

Jones' tools have always screamed louder than his production, but now, the counting stats are starting to match. It's almost like ... the Yankees waited so long to elevate him because Jones the Myth wasn't totally aligned with Jones the Man, and Double-A features a higher level of pitching quality than the top tier of the minors, which consists of a higher percentage of MLB castoffs?

It took Jones a while to master Double-A because it's exceptionally tough and prospect-packed, and he has a one-of-a-kind body. It actually isn't that shocking that he somehow looks even better at Triple-A — but it is really fun.

Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones just cranked fifth home run in 10 games at Triple-A

He's come a long way from falling off Top 100 lists last summer after he was held out of Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes trade talks. A long way.

Of course, because of his reputation, the strikeout fears will never go away until Jones is five years deep in a Hall of Fame career. For those looking to poke holes in his credentials, they're always going to define him — and yes, 200 last season is a big, bold number that screams developmental woes. "High strikeout rate" is bad. "Highest strikeout rate at Double-A" is markedly worse.

But Jones has transcended his 85 Ks in 59 games this year to produce a big, booming output, and as incongruous as it sounds at first, it's actually not terribly surprising that things look even better at the highest level. The Yankees slow-played this one perfectly.