Spencer Jones made his presence known in the 20-3 New York Yankees spring training win over the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 21 at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The 24-year-old recorded a home run in the lopsided victory as he looks to have a stellar spring training.
In 2025, Jones put together a standout minor league season, batting .274 with a .362 on-base percentage and .571 slugging percentage (.933 OPS) across 116 games between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while recording 35 home runs, 80 RBIs, 102 runs scored, and 29 stolen bases.
After a home run against the Tigers, Yankees star Aaron Judge had strong words for the young outfielder.
“He’s a hard worker,” Judge told Meredith Marakovits of YES Network on Feb. 21. “You know, we can see the physical tools, the talent. He’s a monster out there roaming around center field, and then we see, you know, he starts it off for us with that big homer. It’s just impressive to see. In the clubhouse, this guy’s showing up early. He’s putting his work in the cage.
“He’s doing everything on the backfields he needs to do to prepare himself, to give himself a shot to make this team out of camp. So I’m excited for him. He’s got a bright future, and he just wants to learn. I think that’s been the coolest part of seeing him, this guy’s going to be a superstar, but he’s trying to soak in as much as he can from all the guys around him.”
Carlos Lagrange Receives Major Praise
Jones wasn’t the only Yankees prospect that Judge had high praise for in the win over the Tigers. Judge also spoke about the performance of Carlos Lagrange, who went 2 2/3 innings against Detroit, recording two strikeouts and allowing one earned run on three hits, along with two walks.
“Anytime you can run up to 103 [mph], and he has a great feel for his off-speed pitches; that’s a lethal combo,” Judge told Marakovits on YES Network.
“So just excited for his future, excited for what he can do on the mound for us, but Lagrange, hey, I’m excited. He’s going to have a bright future with us, and I’m looking forward to his debut whenever that comes.”
Moreover, Judge added more comments when talking about the young right-hander.
“Carlos’ potential, man, is to be a frontline starter for the New York Yankees,” Judge added (h/t Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).
Aaron Judge Excited for Yankees to Run It Back
It’s still unclear if Lagrange and/or Jones will make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster. New York, however, is focused on returning to the World Series after falling short in 2025, particularly following the way the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays unfolded.
“It was a special group last year and now we get a second year of a lot of those guys,” Judge said. “They got their feet wet in the Bronx and the expectations of playing for a Yankee, playing in Yankee Stadium in front of those fans. So I think it’s going to be a fun year. The boys are pumped up. We got a great squad, and they’re hungry.”
Yankees’ Spencer Jones Gets Strong Message From Aaron Judge