This week’s mailbag covers the Yankees’ prospects Spencer Jonescomps for A Mason Miller Trade and trade deadlines involving Angels, Blue Jays, Cubs and Dodgers.
Angel asked:
Do you think the Yankees now think Spencer Jones is unshakable? His trajectory is very similar to that of a judge, but I sign 75% of the judges now.
Jack asked:
Why does it feel like many Yankees’ prospects won’t be eliminated in MLB? Do you think it’s because they’re being exaggerated, the player development is bad, the mix of the two or something?
Sandy asked:
Volpe made another key mistake last night. Even with his dwarf of 0.8, he seems to be under pressure in clutch defense. Do the Yankees have a second thought about their long-term shortstop? Should they? His bats never reached league average. Thanks!
Charles asked:
From the Buccaneers’ packaging, the Yankees take Bednar, Keller and IKF to Bednar, what does Keller and IKF need? It seems that if they are going to be competitors, they need something like this.
Jones is an interesting and polarized prospect. His stock appears to be down in 2024 as he spent the entire season on Double-A and put in a 36.8% strikeout rate at 127 WRC+.
In another 208 PAs this year, Jones still beat 186 WRC+ 33.7% of the time to win the triple A promotion. It was June 27th. Since then, he annihilated Triple-A pitches with 205 WRC+, including 10 home runs in 79 PA. His strikeout rate against railway drivers dropped to 26.6%.
Sample size makes this tricky. Jones hangs around with his swing often, but the 79 PA isn’t enough to say he did cut the strikeout. If he eliminates five more times in Triple -A – once every three games again, his K% will be 32.9.
Jones has a wide range of error bars, but currently has odds with him becoming a star. Jones’ double A sample is still better than his triple A. Let’s see if we can find some compensation that appears at least 30% in Double-A at age 24 or under, while releasing 130 WRC+ or higher.
Gallo and Moncada have at least a few planetary seasons in the Grand Slam between them. Otherwise, these guys wouldn’t be celebrities or even MLB regulars. They also did not lower strikeout rates and dominated the 3-point shooting, so if Jones stays the same, he will draw a new trajectory.
Unlock subscriber-specific articles, including trade rumors front desk subscriptions
- Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony Franco visit unique subscriber articles every week.
- Join the exclusive weekly live chat with Anthony.
- Remove ads and support our writers.
- Access GM caliber tools such as our MLB contract tracker
