The White Sox deserve a lot of credit for already exceeding expectations this year, fresh off a 102-loss season in 2025 and of course the modern record 121-loss 2024. They’re neck and neck with the Guardians atop the AL Central, and a Wild Card spot is possible as well given how light the American League looks this year. That’s really great!
But the Yankees should still beat them, especially in the Bronx. And boy did they do that last night, handling the best that the South Side has to offer, righty
Davis Martin. He’d allowed three homers in 78.1 innings thus far (a league-best 0.3 HR/9) while racking up 3.2 rWAR and a 2.41 ERA. Well, the Yanks doubled that total in one outing, as each of Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt took him deep in a smooth 12-2 victory.
Let’s talk about Jones for a minute. His laser to right field was his first ever at Yankee Stadium, and combined with two walks, he’s up to a .239/.340/.391 triple slash and a 109 wRC+ in his first 53 career plate appearances — no small feat considering how overmatched he looked during his first promotion in early May.
We’re likely to see a decent amount of Jones over the next few weeks with Trent Grisham recently joining Aaron Judge on the injured list and no clear return in sight for Giancarlo Stanton. While the clock might still be ticking on Jones’ return to Triple-A—another demotion certainly seemed possible prior to Grisham’s injury since Jasson Domínguez was finishing a rehab apperance—he will likely end up with at least a representative sample of at-bats for 2026.
So what would you consider to be a successful first foray for Jones? I don’t expect high averages or even medium strikeout rates from the big fella, but to me, if he can run into a pitch every now and then, take his walks, and avoid whiffing on too many pitches clearly outside the zone, then he’s doing his job. I’ve calibrated my own expectations such that a 109 wRC+ is probably more than I honestly expect. I can’t do cartwheels, but I’d be metaphorically doing them if he did that while Grisham and Judge are out.
Even with their absences, the Yankees are fortunate to have a number of quality bats in the lineup, so Jones doesn’t have to put too much pressure on himself. He can focus on developing while also playing good defense and running the bases well. Those are somewhat-overlooked aspects of his game too, as it would be a disservice to asssume he’s lumbering around out there. The man can move!
Today on the site, John will discuss one of the more forgotten players on the roster, Ryan Yarbrough. Madison will run through Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate an overlooked-but-quietly-important Yankee’s 65th birthday, Peter will break down Ben Rice’s go-ahead bomb in Toronto for his At-Bat of the Week feature, Kento will break down why Cody Bellinger’s contract might age better than he initially thought, and Estevão will look back at how the Yankees and White Sox have narrowly avoided playoff matchups over the years. Chicago is the only AL team who they’ve never faced in October.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
Video: Amazon Prime Video, Chicago Sports Network
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
