New York Yankees select Vanderbilt star Spencer Jones in 2022 MLB Draft
Another former Vanderbilt player was drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft with oufielder Spencer Jones going to the New York Yankees. Jones was taken with the 25th overall pick of the draft, giving the 6-foot-7 athlete a chance to earn his way to the MLB level on one of the biggest teams in the league.
Yankees select Spencer Jones
Jones finished last year with Vanderbilt with a .370 batting average and 60 RBIs, as one of the best bats available in the draft. Adding to his value is his unusual size and ability to play the outfield at his height, something that the Yankees hope will translate to the MLB ranks.
Jones was ranked as the 51st prospect available in this year’s draft by the MLB Draft Tracker, and his selection ahead of other college players still available is noteworthy as players like Tennessee’s Drew Gilbert and Florida’s Sterlin Thompson remained on the board.
One of the biggest surprises of this year’s draft was when former Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker was selected by the Texas Rangers with the third overall pick of the draft. Rocker’s selection put Vanderbilt’s former stars in the spotlight as Jones and last year’s second overall pick, Jack Leiter, all come from a strong Vanderbilt class.
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Kumar Rocker selected by the Texas Rangers
The former Vanderbilt ace is known for his 100-mph speed and was selected 10th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft last year by the New York Mets. Unfortunately, due to concerns about his arm’s health by the Mets, they did not offer him a contract and he re-entered the MLB draft pool for this year.
Rocker’s former agent, Scott Boras, attempted to get ahead of the arm concerns for his player’s future, releasing a statement to this effect last year that claimed Rocker’s arm has been medically cleared by multiple doctors. After choosing to not return to Vanderbilt after his draft hopes fell through, the decision appeared to be the right one for him as the Rangers made him an even higher draft pick than before.