New York Yankee fans, here is a tidbit of news that might have slipped past you. Back in November, the Yankees hired Jarret DeHart as their new “director of hitting” for 2025. Surprised? If you didn’t catch that news, you are not alone. That’s because, with all the news on Juan Soto and the craziness of the offseason, this news kind of flew under the radar. But this is legit true! DeHart, who was let go last summer by the Seattle Mariners, is now on the pinstriped team.

However, his incoming in the Bronx isn’t that surprising, as he has been a lifelong Yankees fan. And he was thrilled to be given this opportunity and even posted it apparently on social media. But that was quickly deleted, only to be found on Reddit right now. But recently, he opened up in a Q&A with the Daily News and talked about what he is most excited about. And not Aaron Judge, but DeHart is more interested in the Yankees’ top prospect, Spencer Jones. The one who is deemed as the next big thing or the next big judge.

Jarret DeHart on Yankees’ next big hope

Jarrett DeHart recently shared his excitement about working with the towering prospect. In The Daily News, he shared, “The first one that definitely comes to mind is Spencer Jones. When I was in Seattle, I did draft analysis, and I remember his name because I desperately wanted us to draft him. Clearly, the upside there is huge.” And he isn’t wrong to feel that anticipation. Jones had a 124 wRC+ in Double-A. And he spent the season trying to experiment with his mechanics and making certain adjustments. But let’s not sugarcoat things.

Spencer Jones’ season hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Sure, he was the Yankees first-round pick and came in with big expectations, but his second was a mixed bag. The Achilles heel was the strikeouts! Jones posted a mind-boggling 36.8% strikeout rate. He became the first player in the New York Yankees MiLB history to strike out 200 times in a season. That’s no good, and it was enough for much of that hype around him to fizzle away.

But then development isn’t just a straight path. And 2024 might have had more pain than gains, but he has still shown promise beneath those struggles. Now, 2024 is looming large for Spencer Jones. For him, it’s going to be a make-or-break season.

Spencer Jones could shine in the 2025 season

Now Spencer Jones enters 2025 with a chance to redefine this trajectory. While his season was full of struggles, he did make a late-season adjustment that changed something. It made fans and coaches optimistic, that change is coming. In the final 18 games of the year, including the postseason, he added a pause during his leg lift. Voila! This has helped him unlock the kind of raw power he needs. The result was evident. A 9.49 OPS with five home runs, five doubles, and two triples. Helped the Somerset Patriots to the Eastern League Championships.

Most importantly, the 23-year-old even started elevating the ball consistently. Although strikeout remains a weak spot for him, during the last season surge, the numbers dipped to 31.2% from 36.8%. It is high, but it shows that he is progressing.

For Jones, the key to this upcoming 2025 season will be hitting more fly balls to take the most advantage of his power. He can take the example of Matt Wallner of the Minnesota Twins. If he can improve, then well, what’s stopping him from becoming a 3-4 WAR player and a key piece for the New York Yankees’ lineup in the future?

Do you think he has what it takes to be Aaron Judge 2.0? Let us know in the comments.