Chuckie Jones
| AB | 1653 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .238 |
| OBP | .323 |
| SLG | .377 |
| HR | 43 |
- Full name Charles Anthony Jones
- Born 07/28/1992 in Columbia, MO
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Boonville
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Drafted in the 7th round (228th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2010 (signed for $125,000).
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Jones keeps fine company. He's the state's high school player of the year, following in the footsteps of pitchers Tim Melville and Jacob Turner, both of whom turned pro for seven-figure bonuses. He's committed to Maple Woods CC, the program that also launched the careers of Albert Pujols and Logan Morrison. A 6-foot-3, 230-pound outfielder, Jones stands out for his raw righthanded power and has solid hitting ability, speed and arm strength. His swing can get long at times, though he does a good job of making adjustments at the plate.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Jones remains one of the better athletes in the Giants system, and the organization has been impressed by his combination of physicality and explosiveness. A three-sport athlete in high school and Missouri's high school player of the year for baseball in 2010, he signed for a $125,000 bonus as a seventh-round pick. However, a combination of injuries (such as a 2011 appendectomy) and lack of experience have set him back the last two seasons, and his confidence has sagged. Jones made his full-season debut in 2012 with low Class A Augusta, playing center field for the season's first month. After he had eight hits in 23 games and a strikeout rate over 50 percent, the Giants sent him back to extended spring training to clear his head. Jones got some needed at-bats with short-season Salem-Keizer, still striking out but also drawing his share of walks and showing plus raw power. He moves well for his size but is starting to get too big for center field and likely will move to a corner down the line. The Giants wanted him to take some pressure off and just let him play, and hope that will lead to a successful second stint at Augusta in 2013. -
The best-case scenario has Jones someday turning his ample physical gifts into a standout, two-way center fielder in the mold of Matt Kemp. But first, the Giants need to keep him on the field. Just two games into his 2011 season at Salem-Keizer, he required an appendectomy that forced him to miss a month. He struggled upon his return, so he'll probably return to the Northwest League for his third pro season. Jones has youth on his side, though. A three-sport standout in high school and Missouri's Gatorade baseball player of the year in 2010, the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder is built like a Big Ten linebacker and possesses above-average speed and arm strength. The former quarterback has big-time raw power, and though he's a long way from making dependable contact, he has shown a willingness to work counts and take walks. Jones acquitted himself well while playing all three outfield positions in instructional league, though he's still learning to make the most of his quickness on the bases and on defense. He didn't play on showcase teams and hasn't been exposed to much quality coaching as an amateur, so he has everything to learn. The same was true of Kemp. -
Jones was a high school quarterback and basketball player, but baseball was his best sport. He was Missouri's high school athlete of the year, and the Cardinals already had called to say they were planning to take him in the seventh round before the Giants swooped in one pick earlier. Jones had committed to Maple Woods (Mo.) CC, following his role model, Albert Pujols, but was eager to start his career. He signed quickly and then showed the ultra-athleticism that made him a three-sport standout in high school. Competing mostly before his 18th birthday, he posted a .461 slugging percentage in 46 games in the Rookie-level Arizona League, amassing five homers, four triples and seven doubles among his 46 hits. He has good bat speed to go with his present strength. Jones didn't bother to cut down his swing with two strikes, fanning 61 times in 165 at-bats. But he also drew a team-high 20 walks, indicating he has some plate discipline. Despite his tender age, Jones is built like an NFL linebacker with above-average throwing and running ability. He'll probably outgrow center field, but scouting director John Barr assumed the same thing about Matt Kemp when he was with the Dodgers. He has enough arm strength to make right field a possibility.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Giants selected center fielders Gary Brown and Jarrett Parker with their first two 2010 draft picks, and they may have also found another good one in the seventh round in Jones. With a build like a linebacker and a persistent five o'clock shadow, Jones looks older than his age; in fact, several AZL managers were lukewarm on him as a prospect until told that he only turned 18 midway through the season. Though Jones' speed is rated as slightly above average, San Francisco believes he has the range to stay in center field. He's still working on his breaks but has shown that he can go and get the ball. Jones easily could move to an outfield corner, because he has an average arm and enough bat. His best tool is his raw power. He needs to improve his pitch selection and learn to hit curveballs.
