Spencer Jones

Jones entered the season as one of the best two-way players in the class as a 6-foot-7, 212-pound lefthander with massive upside on the mound as well as surprising athleticism and feel to hit as a first base prospect. His season was cut short after he underwent surgery to repair a small fracture in his elbow, but Jones did recover soon enough to hit for his La Costa Canyon team late in the season. While teams seriously looked at Jones as both a pitcher and hitter, his upside is highest on the mound, where he has reached the mid-90s with his fastball and sat in the 89-93 mph range last summer. He also showed a mid- to upper-70s curveball with 12-to-6 break and tremendous depth that projects as a plus offering in the future. Jones doesn’t have the quickest arm, but his delivery is surprisingly in-sync for a prep pitcher of his size who has only been pitching seriously for a year and a half—a testament to his above-average athleticism and body control. Offensively, Jones has solid feel for the barrel and decent strike-zone recognition, although he will chase pitches at times. He’s an above-average runner at the moment, and some scouts believe he could develop plus raw power in the future as his body continues to mature. Jones figures to be a tough sign out of Vanderbilt, especially with his injury this spring, and he could turn into a first round-caliber prospect in a few years if he adds the physicality that most scouts think is coming. Jones should be a legitimate two-way player with the Commodores.