MLB Futures Game: 3 things I heard inside the NL and AL clubhouses in Seattle
By Kevin Henry
MLB prospects: Yankees’ Spencer Jones following mold of Aaron Judge
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Yankees prospect Spencer Jones has heard the questions before. After all, when you’re a tall outfielder in the New York farm system, you’re going to get plenty of inquiries that pair you with 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge.
While Judge may have an inch and about 60 pounds (Judge is listed at 282) on Jones, the 22-year-old outfielder, listed as the third-best prospect in the Yankees farm system, says there is plenty to learn from how the American League MVP carries himself, on and off the field.
“We were joking around in the (spring training) weight room that, once you get to a certain size, it’s about moving right and not so much about strength,” Jones recalled. “Little things like that are some of the tips that he has shared with me.”
At High-A Hudson Valley, Jones has displayed his own strength this season, smacking 10 homers and 20 doubles as part of a .263/.330/.470 slash line. Even from afar, Jones is using Judge’s size as motivation for his future in the Bronx.
“It’s encouraging because there aren’t a lot of guys our height who are out there, running around and playing every day,” Jones said. “To see somebody in organization who is doing that and contributing like he does is something special.”