Spencer Jones likely won’t make the New York Yankees’ Opening Day roster, especially after an up-and-down 2024 in the Minors. But he’s still carrying the hopes of Yankees fans on his back, hoping he can live up to the Aaron Judge-sized hype that’s followed him over the last few years. The 2025 season was setting up to be a make-or-break one for the outfield prospect, who has massive upside but massive question marks concerning his sky-high strikeout rates.

It’s early yet, but so far, so good: The former first-round pick has a sweet swing from the left side of the plate, and he showed it off in his first spring training game by hitting an opposite-field home run.

SPENCER SMASH.

SPENCER JONES LAUNCHES THE FIRST HOME RUN OF THE YEAR FOR THE YANKEES, 104.5 MPH OFF THE BAT🔥#Yankees pic.twitter.com/DMdp4rihtq

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) February 22, 2025

The 23-year-old prospect has a ton of potential. Jones’ speed and powerful swing are intriguing. Over the past two years across different Minor League levels, the young outfielder has racked up 68 stolen bases. The former Vanderbilt star also slugged 33 home runs across that stretch, a reminder of just how toolsy he is. If he can put together a better approach at the plate, the sky is the limit, and he could be banging down the door to the Bronx sooner rather than later.

Spencer Jones could make Yankees debut in 2025 with breakout year

With Jasson Domínguez, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge in the outfield, a path to MLB in 2025 seems challenging for Jones. However, with Giancarlo Stanton’s elbows causing him to start the season on the IL, the DH spot is wide open.

Dominic Smith is the most likely option to be New York’s Opening Day DH with Stanton out. He will be given a short leash due to his lack of success over the past few seasons; since 2021, Smith has a .241 batting average with a lackluster .671 OPS. If Jones builds off his first game in spring training, he could make his case to be the next guy up.

Jones’ upside is unquestioned. He’s currently ranked third among Yankees prospects, per MLB Pipeline. With Bellinger’s injury history, he could be a candidate to take over in center field if anything were to happen. Plus, Paul Goldschmidt is 37, and with the DH spot open, New York could always shift him or Bellinger to DH, creating an opportunity for the young prospect to get a chance in center. Jones has a few different avenues to the Major League roster in 2025.

Brian Cashman has always loved Jones. If he performs at a high level in spring training, he could start the season in Triple-A. From there, he’ll need to build off a strong spring to make his case. But Jones is already off to a great start with his first game down in Tampa, and he’s proven that he has a dangerous swing that could translate at the big-league level. A few months from now, don’t be surprised if the 23-year-old makes his long-awaited MLB debut.