Spencer Jones is on the verge of a postseason that he’ll want to forget.
The 6-foot-7 lefty slugger was quite impressive for the New York Yankees during his rookie season after being called up for the first time to MLB.
In the playoffs, though, Jones has really struggled.
There was the ball hit to the outfield earlier in the week that Jones said he misjudged and should’ve caught.
There was that swing pictured atop the article when Jones had his helmet fall off right into his face.
And really, he just hasn’t made a positive impact at all when stepping into the batter’s box.
Spencer Jones Playoff Stats
It’s a small sample size, and that’s worth acknowledging, because playoff baseball can often paint the wrong picture.
But so far, Jones is just 2-for-15 in his playoff at bats so far, entering Game 3 of the ALDS against the Rays.
Both of those two hits have been singles. He’s also walked once, stolen one base and scored three runs.
Maybe most concerning: Jones has struck out seven times in 15 at bats.
Jones was always viewed as a swing-and-miss dilemma coming through the minor leagues. Everyone knew if he made enough contact in the majors, he’d do damage, but there were huge questions about the odds of him actually doing that.
The playoff sample is small, but Jones ending nearly half his at bats in Ks isn’t great.
It’d be easier to live with if Jones’ two hits were homers, but right now he’s hitting .133 with just a pair of singles.
With Aaron Judge out, the Yankees need Jones to be good, and so far, he hasn’t been. It’s the kind of thing that would potentially even out over a longer sample, but the playoffs don’t provide that kind of runway.
Reason for Hope
The biggest reason to believe in Jones is that over the longer sample he had in the regular season, he was much better than this.
A 15-AB sample isn’t much to go on. If it hadn’t happened in his first 15 playoff at bats of his career, it might not even be noticed.
Game 3 of the ALDS is against a righty, Nick Martinez, so Jones should be in the lineup.
Martinez is crafty and has had an incredible season, but he conceptually is a matchup Jones could solve if he takes a good approach to the plate.
The Yankees, in part by default, have put their faith in Jones to be ready for the playoff stage.
They’re all running out of time, but it’s not done yet. Jones still has a chance to deliver.
Spencer Jones Letting Yankees Down