Yankees 2024 Roster Report Cards: Jahmai Jones

Originally drafted out of high school by the Los Angeles Angels in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft , Jahmai Jones had bounced around the league before being claimed off of waivers by the Yankees before the 2024 season.

The February waiver claim was never going to turn heads, and rightfully so, but Jones versatility was enough for him to make the Yankees Opening Day roster.

What transpired after is what you would expect from a fringe roster player with no clear role on the major league club.

Grade: D 2024 Statistics: 33 games, 47 PA .238/.304/.381, 1 HR, 96 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR 2025 Contract Status: Signed minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers I do not think the Yankees ever intended for Jones to make the Opening Day roster, but a strong spring and a fortunate (for him) sequence of events allowed him to stick around.

When DJ LeMahieu fouled a ball off his foot in the middle of March, a backup infield spot suddenly opened up.

Out of minor league options, and with a lack of infield depth on the Yankees roster, Jones opportunity emerged.

The Yankees would eventually trade for Jon Berti as a more proven commodity at third base, but Jones would still make the Opening Day roster as Ben Rortvedt was shipped off to the Rays.

Jones would make his Yankees debut on March 29th in the seventh inning against Houston, striking out once after coming in to replace Gleyber Torres in a 7-1 victory.

Jones would get his first start with the Yankees on April 20th, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against the Rays.

Jones split his time evenly between the corner outfield positions and second base but appeared in just 33 games for the Yankees in 2024.

To give perspective on how sparingly he was used, by late May, Jones had made ten plate appearances.

But one of those at-bats would turn a milestone into a Yankee memory for the 27-year-old utility player.

In his second start of the season, Jones delivered a 1-0 pitch into the left field seats of Tropicana Field for his first career home run.

The Yankees bench was fired up, and so was Jones, delivering a special Mothers Day gift that came in the form of a solo shot to extend the Yankees lead.

Staying ready for your moment, despite a lack of opportunities, must be extremely difficult for a major league role player, so it was nice to see Jones be rewarded with that home run.

Jones continued to hang around on the roster, partly because of an injury to Jon Berti in late May.

His most successful stretch of the season would come in a six-game run in late June and early July, when Jones hit .333 across 18 at-bats, including two extra-base hits.

Jones run in the majors would end on July 29th, when he was designated for assignment .

He would clear waivers and be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Angels former top prospect has shown a track record of being able to hit in the minors, and he proved that again in the Yankees system, slashing .304/.390/.490 across 34 games.

Jones also swiped 10 bases during his time in Triple-A this past season.

A player like Jahmai Jones is searching for a consistent opportunity, and unfortunately, that was never going to happen with the Yankees in 2024.

The fact that he made the team and was able to stick around for as long as he did is impressive in itself.

Jones will look to get that opportunity with the Tigers in 2025 after signing a minor league contract with an invitation to major league Spring Training..

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