Getting the swing of things
Adjusting his batting stroke has helped prospect Jones better utilize his power
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Taylor Jones threw a mean twoseam fastball, one that ran substantially, hovered in the high 80s and was wicked on college hitters who couldn’t pick up the baseball from Jones’ wiry frame. He threw almost 100 innings during two seasons at Gonzaga, alternating time between the mound and occasional designated hitter duties.
But some time during his junior year, Jones had a revelation. His swing, though still so very raw, was in sync. Hitting came easier. Extra base hits piled up and Jones’ natural athleticism shined at first base. The allure of playing every day overtook appearing once or twice a week.
“I transitioned and said ‘I don’t want to pitch anymore,’” Jones said this week.
“I always had a passion for being a position player and playing every day.”
Now, Jones towers over almost everyone in the Astros’ spring training clubhouse but eschews any other attention. He stands 6-foot-7, forecasted as the first baseman of the not so distant future.
Most mornings, the 26-yearold breakout prospect squeezes his long frame into a folding chair at his corner locker and scrolls through an iPhone. He repeated the routine Saturday before facing three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer in the team’s Grapefruit League opener.
“Obviously, being close (to the major leagues) and being in Class AAA all last year and playing well, you get excited because the next step is the big leagues,” Jones said. “I just have to keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing and then they make the decisions at the end of the day. If I can just go out and do what I do, the rest will take care of itself.”
Jones traveled a circuitous route onto the Astros radar — from high school basketball player to pitcher and, now, versatile infielder. A swing fix found previously untapped power. Natural athleticism allowed the club to try him at different positions, key for Jones’ chances at eventually cracking the major league roster.
Of the 125 Class AAA games Jones started last season, 15 were at third base. Thirty others were in the outfield. His athleticism is natural and his frame affords absurd reach on balls in the gap or deep in the hole.
“We got video of him ranging long ways,” said Class AAA manager Mickey Storey. “We play in the shift a ton — lefthanded pull shift — and I got a chance to move him from third to the (shortstop) spot and I never felt the need to. Being as long as he is, he’s able to cover a pretty good amount of range.”
Jones is the latest in a long line of Astros minor leaguers who’ve been asked to increase their versatility. For Abraham Toro and Myles Straw, their request was the final step before a call-up.
“Very impressive the first couple of weeks,” Houston bench coach Joe Espada said. “I’m excited to see more. He’s going to get an opportunity to open some eyes here this spring.”
As Yuli Gurriel enters his final season under club control, the organizational first-base depth is depleted. Former top prospect AJ Reed was put on waivers last year. Seth Beer went to Arizona in the Zack Greinke deal. Yordan Alvarez is a left fielder — if he ever plays defense at all.
Kyle Tucker experimented at first base during the minor league season, but acknowledged this week he “hasn’t really been working much” as an infielder lately. When Tucker was, Jones was the man he emulated.
“He’s one of the best first basemen in (minor league) baseball,” Tucker said. “And he rakes.”
Houston added Jones to its 40-man roster this winner — the only other primary first baseman on the roster. Addressing the position during the offseason is almost a given, but Jones’ stellar recent production offers a reassuring internal option.
“To me, the (major league) opportunity was there last year,” Storey said. “I know there were some who were on board with me and it just didn’t work out.”
Manager Dusty Baker will utilize the first few weeks of spring training to better learn the “kids,” those prospects with an opportunity to affect the major league club at some point this season. His Saturday lineup was littered with them — from ballyhooed prospects Jeremy Peña and Cristian Javier to major league experienced youngsters Garrett Stubbs and Straw.
Jones is in neither category. The team selected him in the 19th round during the 2016 draft. He finished his first full season of affiliated ball with a .634 OPS. He struck out 101 times in 365 at-bats. Rediscovering his swing during the following season supplied hope.
“He kind of started to figure out that he’s a strong guy, has great plate discipline and his swing decisions are really good,” Storey said. “Just kind of control what you can control and let the rest take part
In the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Jones slugged .501 and struck 50 extra-base hits last season. He became a mainstay in Storey’s everyday lineup, after the manager acknowledged in a face-to-face meeting months earlier that atbats may be difficult to earn.
“He’s probably one of the hardest working guys we got — puts in serious amounts of time in the cage and he’s always a pro,” Storey said. “The evolution of Taylor Jones, credit goes to him. He’s taken what we’ve been able to give him and absorb it and run with it and kind of develop his own deal. His understanding of hitting has really blossomed.”
Jones entered professional baseball as a self-diagnosed “steep hitter,” someone who popped up too many hittable pitches and bounced others into the ground. In college, he wiggled his bat during his prepitch setup. His hands were sometimes centered. The commotion caused an uneven swing, rushed decisions and poor pitch selection.
Work with organizational hitting coaches Ben Rosenthal and Troy Snitker solved Jones’ problems. His swing is now flatter, enhancing his ability to get behind and drive the baseball. He hardly moves his bat before a pitcher delivers.
“If I’m not moving prior as much, I have less time to get on plane,” Jones said. “Making movements to start to be on plane makes everything quicker and everything more simple. It helped with decision making. Now I have more time in my load to get the fastball or offspeed pitch. I think it all correlates.”
With the swing changes implemented, Jones hit 22 home runs last season. He had 33 in the three years of professional ball that preceded it. Just this week, MLBPipeline labeled Jones as the team’s top power prospect.
“There was still some questions on the bat last year,” Storey said. “Everyone knew he could play first base, but now it’s like ‘Oh, he can play third, he can play left, he can hit.’ It’s a much easier situation for him to break through this year. And I don’t see how it doesn’t happen, honestly.”