Jahmai Jones Found His Fit - Just Not in the Bronx
Jahmai Jones’ time with the 2024 Yankees was so brief, you’d be forgiven for forgetting it ever happened. He logged just 47 plate appearances all year, serving as a depth piece on a roster chasing a World Series title.
No big moments, no highlight-reel plays - just a quiet presence on the bench. But looking back now, it’s fair to wonder if the Yankees missed a golden opportunity.
At the time, Jones didn’t exactly have the résumé to demand more. He entered the season with just 36 games of big-league experience and little to show for it statistically.
So when he didn’t get much run in New York, it made a certain kind of sense. But here’s the twist: once he left, it became clear that the Yankees may have had the right player all along - they just didn’t know how to use him.
After the 2024 season, Jones moved on in search of a real opportunity, and he found it in Detroit. Tigers manager AJ Hinch gave him a defined role and consistent chances - and Jones delivered.
In 72 games, he played across the corner outfield, second base, and even got some time at designated hitter. He racked up 150 plate appearances - a much more realistic sample size for a utility bench bat - and made the most of them: a .287 average, .937 OPS, and a 157 OPS+.
He also posted 0.9 WAR, which may not jump off the page, but it’s a significant leap from his previous 69 MLB games combined.
And he did all that on a Tigers offense that struggled to find its footing at times. Detroit’s lineup had its moments, but when the postseason lights came on, their offensive shortcomings were exposed.
Jones, despite the limited role, was a bright spot. Now imagine plugging that level of production into the Yankees’ 2025 or 2026 rosters - both of which could’ve used a right-handed bat with defensive flexibility.
The Yankees' front office has spent the past two offseasons trying to patch that exact hole. They’ve reportedly been eyeing players like Austin Slater and Randal Grichuk - veterans who would bring similar skill sets but at the cost of bumping young players like Jasson Dominguez or Oswaldo Cabrera back to Triple-A.
In fact, the recent re-signing of Paul Goldschmidt, while a strong move on paper, has already complicated the roster math. Word is, Dominguez may open the season in the minors, and Cabrera could be bouncing up and down all year.
That’s where Jones could’ve made a real difference. A low-cost, plug-and-play option who wouldn’t disrupt roster balance but could still give you quality at-bats and defensive coverage across multiple positions.
Instead, the Yankees let him walk - and then spent big elsewhere. Trent Grisham signed for $22 million this offseason, and while his power potential is real, the price tag limited what the team could do in other areas.
Add in the trade for Ryan McMahon - a move made largely to stabilize third base - and suddenly you’re looking at $38 million committed to two players filling roles that Jones might’ve helped cover for far less.
Now, this isn’t to say Grisham and McMahon aren’t valuable. Grisham’s power surge has been real, and McMahon brings elite defense to the hot corner.
But this is about roster construction and asset management - two areas where the Yankees have struggled to find consistency in recent years. Letting a player like Jones go, only to chase similar profiles at a higher cost, is the kind of misstep that adds up over time.
In the end, Jahmai Jones found his fit - just not in the Bronx. The Yankees had him in the building, but never gave him the runway. And now, as they continue to search for answers on the fringes of the roster, it’s hard not to look back and wonder what could’ve been.