Jahmai Jones is a professional baseball player who rarely plays.
The 26-year-old has been on the Yankees’ active roster since Opening Day and has logged just 10 games over the past eight weeks. Very rarely are MLB players rostered for so long and used so infrequently.
The Yankees played 52 games on Friday; Jones started just two of them. His first career home run came on Mother’s Day, in one of those games. Nine other times, he came on as a runner, pinch hitter or defensive substitute. Most days, the upbeat, friendly utility man plays the role of a baseball army reservist: prepared and waiting for a call that probably won’t come.
But a lack of playing opportunities does not mean a lack of work. Jones still prepares, every day, with the mindset that he will play that night. He says it’s the only way to stay current, to be ready. And around the fourth or fifth inning of a game he’s not starting — which happens in most games — he’ll go into the Yankees’ underground cage to stretch, run and take a few swings if manager Aaron Boone calls his name. .
And so, most nights, Jones starts the game as a spectator, albeit one with great seats. From the top step of the dugout, with his arms outstretched over the railing, he watches one of MLB’s most electrifying offenses begin to work.
“As you can see, we pitched a pretty consistent lineup,” Jones told Yahoo Sports of the Juan Soto/Aaron Judge-led Yanks offense that leads the majors in homers. “I know that, you know, these guys are really good. So it’s an opportunity for me to learn.”
Jones is not a wide-eyed, happy-to-be-here spectator. The Georgia-born athlete was once a player with immense promise and great expectations. He was a highly touted amateur talent at a prestigious Atlanta-area high school with two older brothers who would go on to play in the NFL. The Angels drafted him in the second round in 2014 and gave him a $1.1 million signing bonus to renounce his commitment to UNC. He rose through the Anaheim system, became a top-100 prospect and was hailed as a big league player with potential impact.
As so often happens with successful prospects, a lack of offensive consistency and defensive edge soured his stock as he rose through the ranks. Jones debuted with Anaheim during the 2020 season, but his profile continued to worsen following a trade to Baltimore and ill-timed Tommy John surgery. Since then, he has been a so-called “up and down guy,” spending his time bouncing between various Triple-A teams and their big league affiliates. The Yankees — who he joined this spring training after the Brewers dropped him from their 40-man roster — are his fifth organization and his fourth cup of MLB coffee. Spring training injuries to two Yankee infielders — DJ LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza — opened the door for Jones to get the club out of camp, and he took advantage.
Time and the realities of baseball have complicated Jones’ career, but his high expectations for himself remain. Even though he remains on the fringes of New York’s roster, he maintains the firm belief that he still has the ability to become an everyday player.
“I think I have all the talent to be an everyday big league guy,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I was. I just wait for my opportunities and make the most of them, whether it’s every day or, you know, once a week, or whatever.”
It’s a fascinating tightrope that Jones must walk. Remain unwaveringly confident in your abilities while also acting selflessly in the short term to help the team win. It’s common for big league bench players with bigger dreams to be dissatisfied and angry with their situation. Jones didn’t let that happen.
“My problem is, if I’m salty all the time and I’m upset, how is that going to translate into helping the team win?” Jones asked: “If I’m not getting an opportunity in the game, but I’m knocking everyone around me down, I’m just being a cancer to the team. I will never be that.”
Appearing so rarely isn’t entirely unheard of. Last season, a utility player named Charlie Culberson spent two separate month-long stints on Atlanta’s MLB roster, making just one plate appearance. Culberson was a 34-year veteran at the end of his career; Jones is just 26, young enough to believe better days are ahead.
And to be clear, lack of opportunities aside, there are worse jobs. Jones is paid the MLB minimum wage, which equates to approximately $4,277 per day. That means he brought home more than $220,000 for 10 plate appearances and two starts; good job if you can do it. He lives in New York, plays for the Yankees, life is good.
But all good things must come to an end and Jones’ time on the roster appears to be dwindling. LeMahieu, the team’s projected everyday third baseman, is nearly back to full health. Currently on a minor league rehab assignment, the 13-year veteran could join the team as early as next week for the Yankees’ trip to Anaheim. LeMahieu’s return from a foot injury would likely push the Jon Berti/Oswaldo Cabrera combo to the bench and Jones out of the lineup. He would likely be designated for assignment, eligible to be traded or claimed by another team and placed on their major league roster. If he went unclaimed, Jones would almost certainly report to New York’s Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Jones says the clock ticking doesn’t bother him, that he doesn’t worry about it.
“This decision is completely out of my control. So I’m not going to spend every day waiting for the ‘what ifs’ or worrying about whether it’s me or not. Because, again, it’s not helping anyone. It’s not helping myself, it’s not helping the team win and it’s not helping DJ get healthy.”
Even if he is sent off, he could very well return later this season. However, as the future lurks, Jones remains positive, focused and involved. He is a cheerful presence during Yankees batting practice, joking with his teammates, a smile plastered on his face as he does his job. During games, Jones remains a constant presence on the top step of the bench, at least until it’s time for him to arrive. prepare.
