Jones, 22, is batting .444/.565/.722 (8-for-18) with seven runs, two doubles, one home run, four RBI and four walks in 12 spring games. Additionally, Jones participated in Major League Baseball’s inaugural “Spring Breakout Game,” going 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI. The left-handed batter enters this season as the No. 2 prospect in the Yankees organization according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Jones is also ranked as the No. 46 overall prospect in baseball by Baseball America and the No. 84 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. The Encinitas, Calif., native was selected by the Yankees in the first round (25th overall) of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Vanderbilt University.

The award was established in honor of James P. Dawson (1896-1953), who began a 45-year career with The New York Times as a copy boy in 1908. Eight years later, he became boxing editor and covered boxing and baseball until his death during spring training in 1953.

Two winners of the honor, Tony Kubek in 1957 and Tom Tresh in 1962, went on to win the American League “Rookie of the Year” Award. The Dawson Award first was presented to rookie Norm Siebern by Manager Casey Stengel in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the conclusion of Spring Training in 1956. New York Yankees beat writers vote on the winner.

In conjunction with the award, Jones will receive a watch courtesy of Betteridge Jewelers.

 

John Brophy on X: "The New York Yankees today announced that outfielder Spencer Jones is the recipient of the 2024 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the most outstanding Yankees rookie 

James P. Dawson Award winners:

1956…Norm Siebern OF
1957…Tony Kubek SS
1958…John Blanchard C
1959…Gordon Windhorn OF
1960…John James P
1961…Rollie Sheldon P
1962…Tom Tresh SS
1963…Pedro Gonzalez 2B
1964…Pete Mikkelsen P
1965…Arturo Lopez OF
1966…Roy White OF
1967…Bill Robinson OF
1968…Mike Ferraro 3B
1969…Jerry Kenney OF/ Bill Burbach P
1970…John Ellis 1B/C
1971…None Selected
1972…Rusty Torres OF
1973…Otto Velez OF
1974…Tom Buskey P
1975…Tippy Martinez P
1976…Willie Randolph 2B
1977…George Zeber INF
1978…Jim Beattie P
1979…Paul Mirabella P
1980…Mike Griffin P
1981…Gene Nelson P
1982…Andre Robertson SS
1983…Don Mattingly 1B
1984…Jose Rijo P
1985…Scott Bradley C
1986…Bob Tewksbury P
1987…Keith Hughes OF


1988…Al Leiter P
1989…None Selected
1990…Alan Mills P
1991…Hensley Meulens OF
1992…Gerald Williams OF
1993…Mike Humphreys OF
1994…Sterling Hitchcock P
1995…None Selected
1996…Mark Hutton P
1997…Jorge Posada C
1998…Homer Bush INF
1999…None Selected
2000…None Selected
2001…Alfonso Soriano 2B
2002…Nick Johnson 1B
2003…Hideki Matsui OF
2004…Bubba Crosby OF
2005…Andy Phillips INF
2006…Eric Duncan INF
2007…Kei Igawa P
2008…Shelley Duncan INF/OF
2009…Brett Gardner OF
2010…Jon Weber OF
2011…Manny Banuelos P
2012…David Phelps P
2013…Vidal Nuño P
2014…Masahiro Tanaka P
2015…Slade Heathcott OF
2016…Johnny Barbato P
2017…Gleyber Torres INF
2018…Miguel Andújar 3B
2019…Stephen Tarpley P
2020…Clarke Schmidt P
2021…Deivi García P
2022…Clarke Schmidt P
2023…Anthony Volpe INF
2024…Spencer Jones OF