The Yankees Need to Make a Decision About Their Number Two Prospect

In the wake of Aaron Judge’s injury, there’s only one player that fans would expect to replace him in the outfield: Spencer Jones. The 24-year-old outfielder is lighting up Triple-A since he was promoted in June, and looks ready for his Major League debut. In just 19 games with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, Jones has hit an impressive 13 home runs. Even more impressively, he currently leads all Minor League players with 29 home runs. His power, especially in a time when the lineup is struggling, would be welcomed in the Major League lineup. 

While trade rumors are swirling featuring Jones, the Yankees are set on keeping him unless they decide to trade for one of the brightest stars in the league. Since there’s such a slim chance a player of the caliber of Paul Skenes gets traded this deadline, Jones will most likely remain on the team for the rest of this season at least. With Judge’s injury, it would be the perfect time to give Jones the leeway to lead the Yankees outfield, and give the team the chance to see what they can do in 2026 and beyond. While Judge should only be out for the minimum 10 days, he will be out of the outfield for much longer than that. Jones can also give the team better defense than Giancarlo Stanton. 

With the uncertainty of Yankees prospects panning out at the Major League level, it might be smart to trade Jones while he is of such high value. His numbers in Double-A were not as flashy as his numbers now, and there’s a chance his trade value could dip as the season goes on. If there is a trade on the table to receive one of the most dominant pitchers in the league available at the deadline, it might be of interest for the front office to listen. If a trade is off the table, the Yankees should choose to bring Jones up to replace Judge for the time being. His bat is too hot to keep him in the minors for long, and the team should see what he has before making a decision leading into the next season.