The former prospect can play a lot of positions and hits left-handed pitching well.
When the Detroit Tigers added utilityman Jahmai Jones on a minor league deal this offseason, it didn’t generate much more than a shrug. That’s how it goes when you’re a 27-year-old former prospect who never panned out. It was a sensible addition but whether there would be any role for him was pretty doubtful.
Jones got a lot more attention on Wednesday when he crushed a grand slam against the Philadelphia Phillies and posted two of the hottest exit velocities of the spring. The Tigers have some injury trouble in their outfield, and with Jones getting some starts in center field, he’s suddenly looking like part of the solution. And whether they need help in center field or not, Jones has a chance to make a pretty compelling case for a regular role on the 2025 Tigers roster.
Jones was initially drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Los Angeles Angels. Out of high school, his speed and contact ability were his most notable assets, but he was projected to grow into average raw power. That took a long time to develop, but the two rockets he hit on Wednesday show he far surpassed expectations in that regard, now boasting comfortably plus raw power.
He was coming along steadily as a prospect when the COVID year hit. He made a brief major league debut with the Angels that year, but the next spring the Angels dealt him to the Baltimore Orioles for current Tigers starter Alex Cobb. That began a four-year stretch in which Jones continued to be a solid but not particularly notable Triple-A hitter and struggled to break through to the major leagues. He was with Brewers and Dodgers in 2023, the Yankees in 2024, but never received more than a brief call-up.
Over the past few seasons, Jones has finally gotten it going at the Triple-A level, illustrating that his progress didn’t grind to a halt in his mid-20’s the way it happens with many prospects. He typically draws a good amount of walks, and while his strikeout rates have been a hair on the high side, the walks balance things out well and show the plate discipline to avoid being overwhelmed by major league pitching. More specific to the Tigers needs, Jones has consistently posted outstanding numbers and done a lot of damage against left-handed pitching at the Triple-A level. As a result he may fit into A.J. Hinch’s platoon strategies very well.
Jones wasn’t such a good fit with some of the more right-handed heavy major league rosters he’s played on the past few seasons. However, for a team like the Tigers that is so heavily stacked with left-handed hitters as the top dogs, adding some balance with a dedicated lefty masher is necessary. Spencer Torkelson and Justyn-Henry Malloy are positionally limited and yet to establish themselves as major league hitters. And so it was Andy Ibáñez playing a small yet crucial role in the Tigers’ success in 2024. Jahmai Jones, with significantly more power and a little more speed than Ibáñez, may well do the same in 2025.
One key ingredient here is Jones ability to play center field, and the Tigers have given him some starts there this spring. He’s played second base, third base, and both corner outfield spots in his 69 major league games. He can already handle the positions Ibáñez plays to a roughly average degree. Probably Ibáñez is the better infielder, but Jones’ speed and outfield experience makes center field at least a viable option for him. With the Tigers’ temporary issues at that position there is a pretty clear path to a spot on the Opening Day roster. However, Jones actually has a pretty strong case whether they need him in center field or not, and right now it looks like he’ll have a chance to prove it in April.
Jones has 197 games as a center fielder in the minor leagues, but all of them came from 2015-2021. As he filled out and gained power he did lose some of his speed, but he appears to still be an above average runner. Is he ideal as a center fielder? No, but probably neither is Pérez. There isn’t a way to replace Parker Meadows’ defense. But if they can get enough out of Pérez and Jones in a platoon, there’s a chance they can cover things for a while without too much of a drop-off. In the meantime, Jones will have a longer opportunity to show he can carry his lefty mashing minor league ways into the big leagues.
In 2024, Jones spent most of his time with the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. He posted a .414 wOBA against all fastball types from either handed pitchers. He hammered breaking balls as well, but struggled mightily against offspeed stuff. Overall he had a good season, but most of the power production in those numbers comes from his consistent tormenting of left-handed pitchers.
If we narrow the statistical focus to solely left-handed Triple-A pitching, some really eye-popping numbers do emerge. Jones posted a monstrous .492 wOBA against fastballs from southpaws last year. His .356 wOBA against lefty breaking balls probably translates to roughly average success against major league breakers as well. He still struggles with offspeed.
This isn’t a one year thing either. If we extend the parameters to 2022-2024 against lefties at the Triple-A level, his numbers look even better against breaking balls. In that timespan, he has a .471 wOBA against left-handed pitchers’ breaking balls, and a .495 wOBA against their fastballs. His numbers are still pretty poor against offspeed, but hey you can’t have everything.
Certainly major league pitching is a different beast, but Jones wouldn’t be the first to carve out a very specific role without being able to hit the majority of major league pitchers. There is a pretty good likelihood that Jones can fill the lefty masher role, and unlike Ibáñez, Jones possesses huge raw power. We might ask “why not both?” The Tigers might agree, at least for a little while. However, if we’re comparing the two, Jones has the raw potential to be the better long-term bet. His tools are much louder, and he’s nearly five years younger.
The Tigers don’t have a right-handed hitter in the system who crushes left-handers and has this much defensive versatility, so there is a distinct possibility of a long-term role with the club. It could be the soon-to-be 32-year-old Ibáñez who has to look out here. The Tigers might carry both, but if you’re picking one to keep as the team gets healthy, Jones may strike the Tigers as the better bet despite Ibáñez’s somewhat more proven track record and contributions in 2024.
When the Tigers quickly scooped up Jahmai Jones early in the offseason on November 20th, it was interesting as a possible challenger for a role, but that acquisition slipped into the background as the offseason focus turned to pitching and the Alex Bregman pursuit. That’s changed with his strong start in spring camp. Once again Scott Harris has found a player with a particular set of skills. Those skills could make Jones a nightmare for southpaws who face the Tigers this season. The current injury situation may give him some runway to prove it.