When the Yankees selected outfielder Brendan Jones in the 12th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, they knew they were getting a speedy contact hitter who could get on base at a high clip. The lack of raw power limited his draft stock, as teams try to draft for upside over floor when they can, but the Yankees are aware that hitters can generate power even if they don’t have a ton of pop. Jones has started to pull the ball in the air a lot more with the Yankees, resulting in him launching three home runs in his last six games.
He’s continued his tear from last season at the plate, and with the production we’ve seen in his time with the Hudson Valley Renegades, a promotion to Double-A might not be that far down the road.
Brendan Jones Continues to Resemble Long-Time Yankees’ Outfielder
Speed has always been a huge part of Brendan Jones’ game, swiping 28 bases and being caught just once through his first 38 games since being drafted. If he kept up his career pace over 150 games, Jones would have 110 stolen bases, and he takes pride in the fact that he can completely disrupt a pitcher by taking off for second or third. That speed and athleticism have allowed him to be a strong defensive outfielder as well, but the big knock in his game was that his offensive profile didn’t fit where the modern game has gone.
Relying on softly hit singles to hit for a high average and put up strong numbers is increasingly more difficult to do at the professional level now because of how good athletes are nowadays. Centerfielders have more range than ever before, shortstops can throw from further distances with excellent accuracy, and teams have data that allows them to position their defense in the best way possible to limit your hit expectancy. Brendan Jones worked at trying to generate more torque on his swings, and with his propensity to pull the ball in the air, the ability to hit for power has developed.
He’s got three home runs through his first 14 games of the season, slugging .463 with a .241 ISO in a league where hitting for power is very difficult. Pulling the ball in the air is a good thing because flyballs tend to travel furthest when pulled compared to being hit the opposite field or to straightaway centerfield, but it can come with a trade-off of chasing more, making less contact in the strike zone, or a combination of both.
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Despite hitting more flyballs and pulling the ball more, Brendan Jones has seen nothing more than a minor decrease in contact abilities, but his power numbers have been much better. This reminds me of what they did with infielder Caleb Durbin, who’s now with the Brewers, as he went from a slap-hitting utilityman to a hitter trying to pull the ball in the air for damage contact. Durbin may never hit 20+ home runs in the big leagues, but he could be a solid hitter with a great glove in the infield, which is valuable at a pre-arbitration cost.
Similar to Caleb Durbin, Brendan Jones still has a below-average raw power tool, but I believe his game power has more upside because of his slightly taller frame. The Yankees also have a better home ballpark for Brendan Jones than they did for Caleb Durbin, as pull-happy hitters tend to do better from the left-handed side than they do from the right-handed side at Yankee Stadium if they don’t have much raw power. While the short porch doesn’t help a hitter who can clear the fence with ease, it does help hitters who don’t have tons of juice in their bat and need to get some shorter home runs.
The scrappy low-whiff high-OBP profile that Brendan Jones brings to the table is reminiscent of Brett Gardner, who found that pull-happy swing later in his career and had some really strong seasons at the plate as a result. Figuring out how to get more game power likely extended Gardner’s career a couple of years, and the organization’s experience watching him grow and adapt to the modern game likely influenced the path they’ve put Jones on. He may not cut it trying to dink and dunk singles everywhere, but if he can rack up home runs, walks, and steals, he’ll be a big leaguer.
Brett Gardner was a 5’11 left-handed outfielder who could play brilliant defense everywhere and took a lot of pitches, and Brendan Jones is a 5’10 left-handed outfielder who also plays brilliant defense everywhere and also takes a ton of pitches. Neither had monstrous raw power (although Gardner did hit a ball 110.1 MPH in 2018), but once that pull-side power clicked, they became a threat to any pitcher trying to groove a fastball over the middle of the plate. It’s Jones’ 23rd birthday today, and he could be someone who rises through the organization fairly quickly if he keeps this up.
The Yankees promoted him to High-A after just a few games in Single-A last year, and we’re seeing Jones get off to another fast start in 2025. Through 29 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades, Brendan Jones has a 141 wRC+ and .391 OBP, with his game power continuing to impress as well. If he gets to the Double-A level with the Somerset Patriots soon and continues his string of success, we could see him in Scranton to start the 2026 campaign. The Yankees featured him a lot in Spring Training and the Spring Breakout Game, and I expect to see his stock rise further this season.