Sunday, March 26, 2006
Jones impressing Yanks with power
03/19/2006
TAMPA, Fla. -- Mitch Jones has put up impressive power numbers in the Minors in each of the past two seasons, bashing 66 home runs at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Columbus.
Jones, who played in his first big-league camp with the Yankees this spring, continued that trend during the past week, impressing manager Joe Torre and the Bombers with a pair of two-homer games.
"He's legitimate; it's not like he only hits mistakes," Torre said. "He seems to have a calm confidence about him at the plate. He's been impressive, hitting home runs to center field and left field; he gets on top of the ball."
Despite possessing true power, the 28-year-old Jones hasn't been considered a big-time prospect in the Yankees' organization because of his alarming strikeout numbers. In 2005, Jones whiffed 174 times in 489 at-bats, a whopping 35 percent of the time.
Jones is hitting .302 in 43 spring at-bats, with eight of his 13 hits going for extra bases. Torre believes that Jones, who plays both first base and outfield, could be a contributor at the Major League level regardless of his propensity to swing and miss.
"He's going to strike out, but the danger when they make a mistake is pretty good," Torre said. "The ratio of strikeouts to what happens when he puts the ball in play, he's certainly impressed us this spring."
Jones was among 10 cuts made Sunday by the team, though, as he was assigned to Minor League camp.
On the move: Eric Duncan's offensive skills are not in doubt, as the youngster is hitting .407 with two homers and eight RBIs in 27 spring at-bats. But Duncan's transition from third base to first base has been going very well, impressing nine-time Gold Glove first baseman Don Mattingly.
"He's just changing positions this year, but for a guy that played third, he looks pretty good over there," Mattingly said. "He's going to be OK."
Duncan's hands have been good at his new position, but he still needs to learn the finer details of playing first. With the bases loaded and one out this week, Duncan took a ground ball and tried to turn a double play at second, when the proper play would have been to get the runner at home.
"He's still learning to play the position, but he has to learn, 'When the ball is hit to me, where am I going with it?'" Mattingly said. "As he gets more comfortable and is out there longer, the more he's going to be able to pre-plan all that stuff."
They're No. 1: Duncan (2003) and David Parrish (2000) are the only former first-rounders in camp. Parrish is hitless in seven spring at-bats.
Class of '05: J.B. Cox was the only member of last year's draft class in the Yankees' big-league camp. He appeared in three games, posting a 3.00 ERA with one save.
Down and out: The Yankees sent several players out to Minor League camp this week, including 2004 first-rounder Philip Hughes. Also reassigned were catcher Jason Brown, outfielder Chris Prieto, right-hander Darrell Rasner, right-hander Matt DeSalvo, right-hander Jeff Karstens and infielder Danny Garcia. The Yankees made 10 more cuts on Sunday, optioning right-hander T.J. Beam to Double-A Trenton and center fielder Melky Cabrera and left-hander Sean Henn to Triple-A Columbus. Lefty Frank Brooks, third baseman Marcos Vechionacci, shortstop Ramiro Pena, Cox, Parrish, Duncan and Jones were reassigned to the Minor League camp.
Stat machine: Kevin Thompson's red-hot spring continues, as the outfielder is hitting .436 through the first 16 games. Thompson has one homer and is tied for the team lead in RBIs with eight. His 17 hits lead all Yankees.
What they're saying: "We have a lot of good looking young players here right now. Dunc, Melky [Cabrera], [Ramiro] Pena, [Marcos] Vechionacci -- these kids are getting a lot of at-bats. This is as talented a camp as I've been to in a long time." -- Mattingly, on the Yankees young players in camp
Source: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/
TAMPA, Fla. -- Mitch Jones has put up impressive power numbers in the Minors in each of the past two seasons, bashing 66 home runs at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Columbus.
Jones, who played in his first big-league camp with the Yankees this spring, continued that trend during the past week, impressing manager Joe Torre and the Bombers with a pair of two-homer games.
"He's legitimate; it's not like he only hits mistakes," Torre said. "He seems to have a calm confidence about him at the plate. He's been impressive, hitting home runs to center field and left field; he gets on top of the ball."
Despite possessing true power, the 28-year-old Jones hasn't been considered a big-time prospect in the Yankees' organization because of his alarming strikeout numbers. In 2005, Jones whiffed 174 times in 489 at-bats, a whopping 35 percent of the time.
Jones is hitting .302 in 43 spring at-bats, with eight of his 13 hits going for extra bases. Torre believes that Jones, who plays both first base and outfield, could be a contributor at the Major League level regardless of his propensity to swing and miss.
"He's going to strike out, but the danger when they make a mistake is pretty good," Torre said. "The ratio of strikeouts to what happens when he puts the ball in play, he's certainly impressed us this spring."
Jones was among 10 cuts made Sunday by the team, though, as he was assigned to Minor League camp.
On the move: Eric Duncan's offensive skills are not in doubt, as the youngster is hitting .407 with two homers and eight RBIs in 27 spring at-bats. But Duncan's transition from third base to first base has been going very well, impressing nine-time Gold Glove first baseman Don Mattingly.
"He's just changing positions this year, but for a guy that played third, he looks pretty good over there," Mattingly said. "He's going to be OK."
Duncan's hands have been good at his new position, but he still needs to learn the finer details of playing first. With the bases loaded and one out this week, Duncan took a ground ball and tried to turn a double play at second, when the proper play would have been to get the runner at home.
"He's still learning to play the position, but he has to learn, 'When the ball is hit to me, where am I going with it?'" Mattingly said. "As he gets more comfortable and is out there longer, the more he's going to be able to pre-plan all that stuff."
They're No. 1: Duncan (2003) and David Parrish (2000) are the only former first-rounders in camp. Parrish is hitless in seven spring at-bats.
Class of '05: J.B. Cox was the only member of last year's draft class in the Yankees' big-league camp. He appeared in three games, posting a 3.00 ERA with one save.
Down and out: The Yankees sent several players out to Minor League camp this week, including 2004 first-rounder Philip Hughes. Also reassigned were catcher Jason Brown, outfielder Chris Prieto, right-hander Darrell Rasner, right-hander Matt DeSalvo, right-hander Jeff Karstens and infielder Danny Garcia. The Yankees made 10 more cuts on Sunday, optioning right-hander T.J. Beam to Double-A Trenton and center fielder Melky Cabrera and left-hander Sean Henn to Triple-A Columbus. Lefty Frank Brooks, third baseman Marcos Vechionacci, shortstop Ramiro Pena, Cox, Parrish, Duncan and Jones were reassigned to the Minor League camp.
Stat machine: Kevin Thompson's red-hot spring continues, as the outfielder is hitting .436 through the first 16 games. Thompson has one homer and is tied for the team lead in RBIs with eight. His 17 hits lead all Yankees.
What they're saying: "We have a lot of good looking young players here right now. Dunc, Melky [Cabrera], [Ramiro] Pena, [Marcos] Vechionacci -- these kids are getting a lot of at-bats. This is as talented a camp as I've been to in a long time." -- Mattingly, on the Yankees young players in camp
Source: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/
