Brock Jones was Stanford’s star center fielder. He headed to Stanford for both football and baseball. He gave up football to focus more on baseball, and after his first season, his game went to a whole other level. Jones hit 18 home runs, stole 14 bases for Stanford in 2021, and played for Team USA last summer. Jones came into the spring as a top pick, only to get a terrible start. But, he went on a tear to finish Stanford’s 2022 season. He played in and started 137 games with 159 hits, 40 home runs, 123 RBI, and 33 stolen bases with a .308 batting average. Jones had a solid outing on the big stage as Stanford reached the College World Series. The outfield department is loaded in this year’s draft class. Jones can most definitely compete with his peers in this regard. Jones does have a little more upside compared to the rest. He is expected to be selected as high as the first round and has caught the eye of many teams.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50
Strengths
Brock Jones began to tap into his tools in 2021. Jones comes with an intriguing power-speed combination. He made great swing decisions with a short stroke and had very strong hands. His physicality isn’t concerning because his plus speed goes well with his basepath instincts. Jones is patient at the plate with a good knowledge of the strike zone. Defensively, Jones is seen as an average to an above-average outfielder. While his arm tool is 45/80, he can play in the outfield thanks to his plus speed and excellent ball tracking. Over his final 40 games, Jones slash .366/.470/.799 while hitting 19 home runs. His 1.269 OPS was much higher than his 1.099 OPS the season prior.
Weaknesses
Jones tends to swing and miss quite a lot. In 2022, his strikeout and chase rates increased, making him use his power less often it’s he should. Jones’ strikeout rate remained over 20 percent in 2022 as most of his damage came from fastballs. Over his three years at Stanford, Jones strikeouts took a hit as he struck out 158 times (21,59,78). Through 25 games of the 2022 season, Jones managed only two home runs. His .247 batting average wasn’t great as he struck out 33 times in 89 at-bats. Jones’ 2022 adjustments showed progress along the way. He will need more to navigate a potential jump to the majors.
MLB Player Comparison
Jones shows comparisons to San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson. Both players can hit the ball from the left side. Both have similar defensive tendencies in the field despite Pederson’s stronger arm. They possess tremendous power that goes beyond their frames. Pederson is known to hit the long ball but often strikes out quite a lot. Jones strikes out a lot too, but his development in the minor leagues should ease that before he makes it to the majors.
Main Image
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
