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Spencer Jones hasn’t been with the Yankees for a year and he already has big shoes to fill. Perhaps even bigger ones down the line, too.

We all remember when the Yankees made the 6-foot-7 outfielder a first-round pick out of Vanderbilt back in July. The Aaron Judge comparisons were automatic to the point of being almost scripted. Six-foot-seven, left-handed bat that fits Yankee Stadium, college outfielder. All the boxes were checked way too early.

Except now, the Judge comparisons might not have been far off. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic discussed Jones in a piece Wednesday and from his personality to his play on the field, perhaps there’s more Judge to him than meet the eye.

He’s soft-spoken and courteous despite his giant frame, keeping in touch with his host mother from when he played in the California Collegiate League. When Jones reported to Tampa, he hit .344 in 25 games and played “exceptional center field,” according to Kirschner.

One of Jones’ former coaches even went so far as to say the young slugger was “born to be a Yankee.”

This is high praise for someone who still hasn’t played a full minor league season. Sure, Jones has a high ceiling but he has just as much chance of becoming Joey Gallo as he does Judge. He’s saying all the right things, even planning to pick Judge’s brain about how to stay healthy. Yet, until we see more, this is pure speculation.

But what if it isn’t? Remember, we at ESNY think pretty highly of Jones ourselves. Based on where he is in his development now, an Aaron Judge-like path isn’t out of the question. The heralded Yankee captaincy might also be in play.

To start, MLB.com lists Jones’ estimated MLB arrival as 2025. This makes sense. The Yankees probably want to refine Jones’ swing as needed and see him play all three outfield positions. Jones also played some first base at Vandy and might see some reps there.

Speaking of first base, let’s stay on that for minute. Right now, Captain Judge’s loyal second-in-command is first baseman Anthony Rizzo. New York re-signed Rizzo to a two-year deal that includes an option for 2025, Jones’ expected debut.

Assuming he stays on track, who’s to say the Yankees won’t call up Jones midseason to spell a then-aging Rizzo at first when he’s not playing in the outfield?

Let’s dig a little deeper and assume Jones does debut in 2025. That will be the third year of Judge’s nine-year, $360 million deal. This means if Jones lives up to the hype, he’ll have five or six years with the Yankees before hitting free agency. Right when Judge’s contract is set to expire.

Granted, a lot can happen between now and then. Injuries. Personnel changes. Baseball is a fickle sport and top prospects often become yesterday’s news overnight. Just ask Brien Taylor and Eric Duncan.

Except Jones seems destined for (literally) bigger things. The Yankees haven’t said much about him since he was drafted. Yet, they seem to think pretty highly of him, enough to offer up the even more hyped Jasson Dominguez in trade talks last summer.

Thus, who’s to say the Yankees haven’t mapped out Jones’ development path to a tee and have this very plan? A few years in the minors, six in the majors, followed by a record deal and succeeding Judge as the captain? It’s too early to predict but one thing is certain. Jones just became a must-watch prospect for spring training.

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Josh Benjamin has been a staff writer at ESNY since 2018. He has had opinions about everything, especially the Yankees and Knicks. He co-hosts the “Bleacher Creatures” podcast and is always looking for new pieces of sports history to uncover, usually with a Yankee Tavern chicken parm sub in hand.