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As the New York Yankees navigate the final stretch before this year’s MLB trade deadline, one player drawing attention both on and off the field is Spencer Jones. The towering slugger and Yankees top prospect is lighting up Triple-A pitching — and lighting up social media, too.
In a story published by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, Jones revealed a hilarious fan interaction that took place following one of his recent home runs, offering a glimpse at his personality and mindset during baseball’s busiest rumor season.
“There was a post of me hitting a home run and one of the comments was, ‘Get ready to speak desert, buddy’” Jones told The Athletic.
“That’s a really good one. I saw that and was dying laughing. That is just so good. To me, that’s the really fun part about baseball at this time of year. I really like the creativity that fans have. It’s awesome. I don’t know if I can speak desert.”
The joke, of course, plays off MLB trade rumors linking Jones to the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the deadline. While the Yankees' farm system is deep, Jones is one of its crown jewels — ranked No. 2 by MLB Pipeline and No. 3 by Baseball America within the organization.
Despite the noise, Jones isn’t letting the speculation rattle him. In fact, he used the moment to publicly declare where his heart lies.
“I was just talking to my girlfriend about this, but at the end of the day, I want to play in New York and be a part of this organization and stay loyal to it,” said Jones, the Yankees' 2022 first-round draft pick. “That’s a big part of who I am and where I want to go in my career.”
As of Tuesday, Jones is tied for the minor league lead in home runs with 26 and boasts a 1.106 OPS. In just 16 Triple-A games, he’s launched 10 long balls, showcasing his elite power. But scouts are still watching his contact rates closely. A 37.6% whiff rate and 74.8% in-zone contact rate raise concerns that he’ll need more polish before making a big-league impact.
With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching on July 31st, the 24-year-old’s future may be up in the air — but he’s determined to rise in pinstripes and show exactly why he belongs.
