Virtually every player will tell you there are areas of the game he will try to improve. It is nearly impossible to reach the majors without a strong work ethic and a desire to get better.
But considering his past, Spencer Jones stands out as a player capable of real growth because he already has grown plenty.
“In my own head, I’ve got a list of things I want to work on, things I want to do,” Jones said in the gloom of the clubhouse after the Rays swept the Yankees. “I’m motivated after this. Just move forward, head down into the next season.”
Jones was abnormal in almost every way — height, weight, speed, strength, rawness — coming out of Vanderbilt in 2022, and the 6-foot-7 freak of an athlete was a project who required time. He struck out 200 times against Double-A pitching in 2024. He overhauled his batting stance for the following year, which led to a strong, but not a breakthrough, 2025 season. He again looked different at the plate last spring, when he unveiled a wide-open approach that was modeled after Shohei Ohtani, and he hit enough to finally force his way to the majors.
