Yankees’ Spencer Jones Taps Into Power With Adjustments To Setup

Spencer Jones finished second in the minor leagues with 35 home runs. He also placed second with 179 strikeouts.

It was something of a mixed bag of a season for the 6-foot-7, 240-pound center fielder, whom the Yankees drafted out of Vanderbilt in the first round in 2019.

Despite the highs and lows, the 24-year-old Jones’ output represented a vast improvement from his 2024 season, and it was at Double-A Somerset where things started to trend upward.

Jones adjusted his hitting setup by using a much more open stance that allows his hips to be in a better position to start, but it turns out that the aesthetic changes were mostly just that.

“Itâ€s funny, it looks very different, but it wasnâ€t that much different,†first-year Somerset hitting coach Mike Fransoso said.

“When you really dive into the how his swing was actually unfolding, it wasnâ€t a ton different from where it really was in spring, to where it was those first few weeks here, when he really opened up, which made it look incredibly different. 

“It wasnâ€t a new swing. The setup added a level of comfort . . . it allowed the swing he has naturally to unfold. A lot of people got caught up in what it looks like to the eye before he starts moving.â€

Regardless, it was in Somerset where Jones was finally able to unlock his in-game power, hitting 16 home runs in just 49 games before a late-June promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Jones hit 19 more homers in 67 International League games, using lessons learned in swing mechanics and also in finally mastering Double-A after spending all of 2024 at the level.

“Sure, there were some tweaks within the swing and maybe flattening a little and not as uphill,†Fransoso said, “but the setup was the main part. Finding one he was comfortable with and then once he loads, making sure itâ€s free so he can go.â€

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