The New York Yankees got an early jolt of power in Grapefruit League action on Saturday, as captain Aaron Judge and top prospect Spencer Jones each went deep against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Judge, making an early start ahead of his World Baseball Classic preparations with Team USA, launched deep drives in the third and fourth innings. The first came off Burch Smith, while the second sailed off Ricky Vanasco.
Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect entering camp, wasted no time in his first Grapefruit League at-bat, crushing a 408-foot solo shot off Keider Montero in the second. The 6-foot-7 lefty turned around a 94.8 mph four-seamer at 111.7 mph exit velocity, per Statcast.
Jones, who posted 35 home runs in 438 minor-league at-bats last year, split 2025 between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting .274/.362/.571 with 80 RBIs and 29 stolen bases across 116 games.
General manager Brian Cashman has noted the 23-year-old would already be in the majors with most other clubs, though he remains blocked in New York’s crowded outfield.
The display from the two 6-foot-7 sluggers offers an encouraging sign for a Yankees lineup looking to contend in 2026. Judge’s multi-homer prowess showed no rust, while Jones’ raw power continues to turn heads.
Judge delivered one of the finest seasons of his career in 2025, batting .331 with 53 home runs, 114 RBIs, 137 runs scored and a 1.145 OPS across 152 games for the Yankees.
The 33-year-old earned his third AL MVP award, fifth Silver Slugger and led the majors in several key categories while anchoring New York’s lineup.
He also added 12 stolen bases and posted a .457 on-base percentage, cementing his status as one of baseball’s premier sluggers despite the team’s postseason exit.
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