TAMPA – As Tigers pitcher Keider Montero began his windup in the second inning of the Yankees’ spring home opener on Saturday, Spencer Jones hunched over, stuck his backend out and tapped his front foot toward home plate before turning on a high, 94.8-mph fastball.
The violent, multi-step cut resulted in a stadium-clearing home run that sparked a roar from the crowd at Steinbrenner Field. Jones, meanwhile, stood tall as he watched the dinger sail 408 feet at 111.7 mph toward Dale Mabry Highway.
“I’m feeling good,” the outfield prospect said after going 1-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Yankees’ 20-3 win. “I’m just trying to get some good feels with the hands, get those going and use that as a trigger.”
While Jones mentioned his hands, it was his toe tap that drew the attention of YES Network broadcaster David Cone, who noticed the farmhand’s understated step looked a lot like that of another tall, left-handed hitter: Shohei Ohtani.
“It’s almost Ohtani-like,” the former big leaguer said.
“Almost Ohtani-like”
If Spencer Jones’ swing looked familiar … this might be why 👀 https://t.co/eXrMwkB9us pic.twitter.com/Uwp3KS3zmO
— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2026
Before anyone loses their minds, Cone was not directly comparing Jones, yet to make his major league debut and likely to start the season in Triple-A, to arguably the most talented player the game has ever seen. Rather, he was commenting on one similar and particular aspect of their mechanics.
The parallel isn’t a coincidence, according to Jones.
“He’s a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing,” he said of Ohtani. “He’s one of those guys that I look at some of the stuff that he does and try to apply it in whichever way I can.”
Added Aaron Boone: “He’s trying to have one complete move with [the swing]. Obviously, the size is very similar [to Ohtani], so hopefully he can copy that well.”
The Dodgers’ 6-3 superstar isn’t the only MVP that Jones has learned from, as he said that teammate Aaron Judge has also offered some tips and advice.
While Jones and Judge hit from different sides of the plate, they’re both 6’7″. Before Judge became baseball’s best hitter, he had to refine his swing mechanics to get the most out of his large frame.
Jones is still learning how to do that, as he’s struggled with in-zone contact and strikeouts over the last two minor league seasons. Those issues have cast doubt on whether he’ll be a successful big league hitter, even after he put up some monstrous numbers at Double-A and Triple-A last year.
The 24-year-old has made several changes to his swing over the years in an effort to mitigate those concerns. This past offseason, he worked on his toe tap and barrel path with former Rockies minor leaguer Will Haynie, who runs H2 Baseball in Tennessee. The goal was to streamline Jones’ lengthy mechanics, all the while keeping Judge in mind.
“It’s just a lot of simple moves. It’s different stuff that I learned. A lot of it is kind of based on what Judge does with Teacherman [Hitting],” Jones said, referring to the captain’s personal hitting coach, Richard Schenck. “It’s kind of the same realm of hitting. So it’s trying to dial in those moves, make things work well, work quick.”
Asked about Jones’ swing changes on Saturday, Judge said that the toe tap has him “ready to hit,” particularly against some of the high heat that gave the youngster trouble last season.
“He’s ready to go from the very beginning,” Judge said. “I like the results I saw in his first at-bat. He gets a heater there and drives it out of the park. So just that quickness, that readiness, I think, is really going to be a game-changer for him.”
Judge’s endorsement and Ohtani mentions aside, Jones’ mechanics remain a work in progress.
Even with Saturday’s bomb, Jones reminded folks that he strikes out a lot, and there have been moments since camp began where his swing still looks long and uncomfortable.
Boone acknowledged that Saturday before highlighting the cut that launched Jones’ homer.
“I feel like early in camp here, he’s been searching for it a little bit mechanically,” the manager said. “The homer, the swing he put on that ball, it looked like it was probably a belt-high, top-of-the-zone, mid-90s pitch that it was just a really clean move at it, and obviously a no-doubter.
“But he’s capable of that.”
