The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 to open their three-game collection at Yankee Stadium Friday. With Saturday’s afternoon matinee sport, New York will search for its sixth straight win.
Earlier than the sport on Saturday, the Yankees introduced a choice involving rookie outfielder Spencer Jones, because the group will get able to face Blue Jays ace Dylan Stop.
Jones is batting fifth, a soar up the order that bumps Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Lombard again a spot and bets that his latest energy carries over towards one of many American League’s hardest right-handers.
Jones, the Yankees’ first-round pick of Vanderbilt in 2022, was recalled from Triple-A on July 26 for his newest prolonged large league look. Since then, he’s batting .234 with 5 house runs and 14 RBI, numbers that pushed him from the underside third of Aaron Boone’s lineup right into a run-producing spot behind the highest of the order.
| NEW YORK YANKEES STARTING LINEUP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Ryan Weathers (LHP, #40) • 5-7, 3.56 ERA, 140 Ok | ||||||||
| August 22, 2026 • Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY • 1:35 PM EDT • Blue Jays at Yankees | ||||||||
| # | Participant | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | Trent Grisham | CF | L | 17 | 54 | 8 | .223 | .737 |
| 2 | Ben Rice | DH | L | 34 | 80 | 3 | .249 | .875 |
| 3 | Heliot Ramos | LF | R | 9 | 35 | 4 | .243 | .687 |
| 4 | Luis García Jr. | 1B | L | 25 | 80 | 4 | .278 | .849 |
| 5 | Spencer Jones | RF | L | 7 | 21 | 7 | .229 | .731 |
| 6 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | R | 2 | 5 | 1 | .288 | .768 |
| 7 | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 2B | L | 17 | 49 | 33 | .214 | .680 |
| 8 | Austin Wells | C | L | 8 | 17 | 2 | .175 | .560 |
| 9 | José Caballero | 3B | R | 12 | 44 | 30 | .237 | .676 |
| Lineups topic to alter. Blue Jays lineup not but introduced. | ||||||||
Spencer Jones’ Energy Surge Behind Bump to Fifth
The final week and a half explains the promotion. Over his final seven video games, Jones is 8-for-26 with two house runs, three RBI and two stolen bases, a .308 common that has reshaped his season line. He went deep in consecutive video games August 20 at Baltimore and August 21 towards Toronto, the second time this yr he has gone back-to-back.
Jones enters Saturday hitting .229 with seven homers, 21 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .731 OPS in 55 video games this season.
“He continues to sort of discover his method,” Boone mentioned of Jones, in response to The Athletic, pointing to swing changes as the driving force behind the latest surge.
Jones has confronted Dylan Stop precisely twice, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, in response to Stathead, a pattern too small to attract any actual significant conclusions.
Learn Extra From Heavy
Yankees Announce Unhealthy Information on No. 6 Prospect Throughout Orioles Sequence
Dylan Stop Brings a Lefty Drawback for Yankees
Jones bats left-handed, and Stop throws proper, the textbook favorable facet of the platoon. However Stop has neutralized left-handed hitters all season, holding them to a .162 common and a .269 slugging mark, with a strikeout price close to 37%, in response to FanGraphs.
Stop has been one of many American League’s greatest starters. The Blue Jays high offseason free agent signing carries a 7-5 report, 2.42 ERA and 201 strikeouts throughout 137 2/3 innings, with a 1.061 WHIP. His final three outings have been dominant, with 18 1/3 mixed innings, 9 hits, 5 earned runs and 27 strikeouts together with a no-decision towards these similar Yankees on August 16, when he struck out 10 over 6 1/3 innings in a sport New York finally gained in additional frames.
The lineup building displays the identical logic. Boone’s card stacks left-handed bats — Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Luis GarcÃa Jr., Jones, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells — towards the right-hander. Jones lands within the five-hole.
The lefty-heavy group that confronted Stop final time is essentially intact, with Jones merely climbing previous Chisholm Jr. and Lombard. With so little historical past towards Stop on report, the Yankees have little purpose to desert the recent hand.
Learn Extra From Heavy
Yankees Announce Roster Transfer With 26-12 months-Previous Catcher Earlier than Blue Jays Recreation
Like HEAVY’s content material? Make sure to observe us.
This text was initially printed on HEAVY
The put up Yankees Announce Spencer Jones Choice Earlier than Dealing with Blue Jays Ace Dylan Stop appeared first on HEAVY.
