The New York Yankees open a series in Arizona on Friday night looking to rebound from a one-run loss and find more consistent production from a young outfielder who has shown both power and growing pains.
After falling 5-4 to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, the club posted its lineup for the first game against the Diamondbacks, and the most notable tweak involved Spencer Jones, via FantasyPros.
Jones had occupied the fifth spot in the order against Minnesota and finished without a hit while striking out five times. That performance prompted manager Aaron Boone to slide the 25-year-old down one place, into the sixth hole, for Friday’s contest.
The rest of the order features Paul Goldschmidt at first, Cody Bellinger in left, Heliot Ramos in right, Ben Rice as the designated hitter, Amed Rosario at third, George Lombard at short, Austin Wells behind the plate and Anthony Volpe at second. Jones will patrol center field.
The adjustment is modest on paper, yet it reflects the reality of a rookie season that has mixed encouraging numbers with stretches of swing-and-miss. Jones is hitting .252 with 59 hits, 10 home runs, 37 RBIs, 32 runs and nine stolen bases across 79 games.
Those totals represent real production for a player who made his major-league debut earlier this year after being selected in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Vanderbilt.
At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, he possesses the kind of raw power that can change a game in a single swing, something he demonstrated with a three-run homer against the Twins just a few days earlier.
Still, five strikeouts in one night is the kind of night that forces a lineup shuffle. Boone has moved Jones around the order several times this season as the Yankees try to maximize his strengths while limiting damage against certain pitching looks.
The Diamondbacks series offers another chance to see whether a slightly lower spot in the batting order helps him settle in and put the ball in play more often.
New York arrives in Phoenix needing wins as the calendar moves deeper into September. A tight loss in Minnesota left little margin, and every at-bat from a developing bat like Jones carries extra weight.
The organization drafted him for his combination of size, athleticism and power; the challenge now is translating that package into more consistent contact at the highest level.
Friday’s lineup is a small tactical step in that process rather than a dramatic demotion.
Whether Jones responds with extra-base hits or continues to chase pitches remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Yankees still view him as part of their present and future outfield mix.
A drop from fifth to sixth is not a verdict on his season. It is simply the latest attempt to put a young player in a position where his next good swing can matter.
