Video summary
Spencer Jones recently secured a significant comeback victory with two doubles, marking his third RBI in that win while reflecting on how much more comfortable he feels at the plate. He describes this renewed comfort as stemming from rediscovering specific body positions and cues that had slipped away during his time out of the majors, allowing him to move naturally again without forcing outcomes. Jones emphasizes that returning to these familiar rhythms has helped him regain confidence, noting that the team's recent success is built on a mentality where they never feel defeated even when facing adversity in tight games.
The core philosophy behind this resilience lies in how Jones and his teammates approach pressure situations, particularly with runners on base. Jones explains that he learned early on to reframe these moments by realizing there is no actual pressure on the batter; instead, all the stress falls on the pitcher who is sweating more and trying desperately to record an out. By accepting this dynamic, Jones focuses solely on his job of hitting without chasing pitches, a mindset he attributes to lessons absorbed during various levels of play from little league through college that helped him flip the mental switch necessary for success in high-leverage situations.
Since being recalled to the major leagues, Jones has found himself feeling super comfortable thanks to the welcoming environment created by his teammates and coaches. He highlights that settling into a relaxed mentality is crucial for his performance, noting that during his previous stint at AAA he tried too hard to do everything simultaneously rather than allowing things to happen naturally. This shift from forcing outcomes to simply relaxing and doing what comes easily has been the biggest difference in his return, enabling him to perform consistently while enjoying the process of being part of a competitive team again.
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Spencer, two more doubles tonight in
this comeback win. Just how comfortable
are you feeling at the plate right now?
>> Um, yeah, it was great comeback win. I
think we, you know, did a great job
responding when, you know, they scored
runs, we came right back. Uh, but yeah,
feeling more comfortable, feeling
better, you know, better Q's, kind of
working through some stuff and just, you
know, starting to, uh, do what I do.
>> What does it mean when you say better
cues?
>> Uh, just some some things. Uh, I'm
trying to find the best way to describe
it. just
certain feelings, certain things,
certain positions I put my body in,
certain things I hadn't been doing in a
while that once you kind of get back to
it, you kind of just start remembering
how to how to move the body and kind of
swing. So,
>> you mentioned the comeback wins now 11
of the last 18 games, this team comeback
victory. What is it about this team not
feeling it's out of a game?
>> Yeah, the the the games we've played
have been tight, but it it feels like at
any point we're able to strike and come
back. Um it for me today it was just it
was a collection of like one inning wins
right where we we give up a couple we
don't score it's fine but there's you
know eight more opportunities for us to
go do it and we did a really good job of
that today
>> your numbers regarding runners in
scoring position are really good any
anything specific do you some guys say
they focus more when their guys on base
>> um I don't know I I think something that
I learned when I was young that I've
always liked was that, you know, when
there's runners on base, there's really
no pressure on you at the plate. It's
more so on the pitcher on the mound. So,
that's kind of the way I've always
framed it. And just, you know,
recognizing that the guys are going to
try and get you out. They're going to
put stuff over the plate. As long as you
do your job and don't go chasing, um,
you'll get a pitch to hit.
>> How much more comfortable are you
feeling since your latest recall?
>> Uh, super comfortable. The guys here
have been great. Um, just making me feel
welcome and yeah, it's been a lot of
fun.
>> That lesson about runners on base. Who
taught you that as a kid?
Um, you know, I I don't know if it was,
you know, from little league, high
school, college, but it's just it's one
of those things that I think once I was
able to flip that switch in my mind and
recognize that there's no pressure on
the guy. It's just, you know, that guy's
trying to get outs and he's sweating
more than you are and you just go up
there and do it.
>> When you [snorts] went down to AAA that
first time, what did you feel like you
needed to work on when you were back up
here?
>> Um, I think I just I needed to settle in
a little bit. I needed to slow things
down. Um, I think first time around you
you try so hard to to do a lot of things
and for me um I'm a chill bird. I just
need to kind of just relax it and allow
myself to do as I do and not try and
force anything. So kind of settling into
that mentality and not trying too hard
and allowing things to happen is has
been the big difference.