MLB Draft 2022: Yankees draft Spencer Jones, slugger in mold of Aaron Judge

By Jake Mintz
FOX Sports MLB Writer

Nine years ago, the Yankees took Aaron Judge with the 32nd pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. At the time, he was a promising but incredibly raw hitter coming out of Fresno State, where he’d shown outrageous power in batting practice that didn’t always translate to games.

In 717 college plate appearances, Judge hit just 18 homers.

Then, Judge made a series of adjustments throughout the minors that allowed him to tap into his power more consistently. He worked his tail off, the Yankees’ development apparatus sprinkled pixie dust on the 6-foot-7 redwood tree, and now he’s the best power hitter in the world.

With the 25th pick in Sunday’s 2022 MLB Draft, the Yankees selected Spencer Jones, a 6-foot-7 outfielder from Vanderbilt University. Jones, who was primarily a pitcher in high school, had an underwhelming first two seasons at Vandy, in which he showed remarkable raw juice in batting practice but slugged just three homers during actual baseball games.

Then, in 2022, he took a huge step forward after simplifying his swing to let his outrageous size and strength do most of the work. That led to an outstanding junior year in which Jones crushed 12 bombs for the Commodores with a .370 batting average. 

There’s still some concern that Jones’ long limbs will lead to an avalanche of strikeouts in pro ball and that he’s still not completely tapping into his ridiculous power. But if he can make a few adjustments and hit for more contact as a pro, he has a real chance to develop into a 40-homer superstar.

Sound familiar?

Now, comparing anybody to Judge is ludicrous and lazy. But gigantic freak athletes built like NFL tight ends with lightower power and swing-and-miss concerns don’t exactly grow on trees. That’s what Judge was nine years ago. That’s what Jones is now. 

If any draft prospect in recent memory resembles Judge in terms of size, raw juice and future potential, it’s the Yankees’ 2022 first-rounder.

Jones, like Judge, is a sneaky good runner and defender for someone built like a refrigerator. Although he played exclusively right field for Vandy this season, he did spend a decent amount of time in center field while playing in the Cape Cod League last summer. Chances are Jones won’t see much time up the middle in the minors, but that he suited up there in the nation’s best summer league says something about his defensive chops.

Put simply: Jones is a much better outfielder than any 6-foot-7 human being should reasonably be.

The rarity of Jones’ and Judge’s height cannot be overstated. In the past decade, only five position players 6-foot-7 or taller have appeared in an MLB game. Only two, Judge and Pittsburgh lamppost Oneil Cruz, are currently in the bigs. The other three, Oakland A’s first baseman Nate Freiman, Tigers outfielder Steven Moya and Astros outfielder Taylor Jones, are either out of baseball or bouncing around the minor leagues.

Why is being tall such a detriment to being a good big-league hitter? It has to do with pitches on the inside half. Dudes with long arms tend to struggle to get the barrel around and square up MLB velocity. That Judge can get his hands inside of mid- to high-90s fastballs and drive them with authority is downright remarkable. 

Whether Jones can learn to do the same will dictate the type of player he becomes.

The Yankees already struck gold once with this type of player. By drafting Jones with their first pick Sunday, GM Brian Cashman and his staff are clearly betting that they can do so again.

Jake Mintz is the louder half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan living in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Mintz.