E-W's Austin Jones Makes Pro Baseball Debut Today

Former Edmonds-Woodway High School baseball standout Austin Jones made his debut for the New York Yankees farm system today in Florida as he played first base and batted seventh. He struck out in his two plate appearances.

Jones, whose nickname is “Bubba,” wears number 73 for the Tampa Yankees, a rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League.

Jones, 18, in June was in Major League Baseball’s annual draft. Jones was taken in the seventh round with the 239th pick, making him the highest pick among Washington high school players.

He made the decision to play pro ball recently after deciding not to play for the University of Arizona, which had offered him a scholarship.

“I weighed all of the pros and cons,” said Jones. “And I found that both routes included college. Just one would be an actual college experience, and the other option was to chip away at a degree online or at Edmonds Community College. With that on mind, I thought about the at-bats I would see at both levels. I would see twice as many at bats playing professional baseball as I would in college, and since I want to get better, that's my road.”

Jones says he inked a signing bonus “in the six-figure range,” but declined to give a specific amount. 

Jones, who bats left and throws right, is 6-1 and weighs 205 pounds. As a senior for E-W, he set  two team records and tied for a third year while leading the Warriors. He batted .568 with a .667 on-base average, both tops in E-W history. His 39 RBI tied a record set in 2004 by Jake Beattiger.

Jones praised his high school coach at E-W.

“High school baseball is a great experience overall,” he said. “To have a coach like Dan Somoza all four years, I couldn't ask for better. He's a great guy and knows the game. We were fortunate to go to not only the playoffs this year, but to state. It was fun competing against some of the best teams in the state and seeing what we were made of. Overall, the experience was amazing and helped me develop as a player and a leader.”

Playing minor-league baseball has its own share of experiences, some of which Jones is sharing with friends and family on Facebook. In addition to playing the infield with highly touted Dante Bichette Jr., a third baseman who is the son of former major leaguer Dante Bichette, Jones gets to hang with a current major league pitcher now on rehab.

“Bus ride back to the hotel with Mark Prior,” he wrote. “He's a crack up, hahaha.”