Ryan Jones (minors01)

Ryan Matthew Jones

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 225 lb.
• High School Irvine High School

• Born November 5, 1974 in Torrance, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Minor leaguer Ryan Jones was a power-hitting first baseman who hit 204 home runs in a 14-year career that spanned from 1993 to 2006.

He began his career in 1993, after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round of that year's draft. He signed for a bonus of $150,000. Playing for the Medicine Hat Blue Jays, he hit .246/.305/.327 with three home runs and 27 RBI in 47 games. His nine double plays grounded into were second in the Pioneer League, behind James Postiff's ten.

In 1994, Jones hit .239/.321/.445 with 18 home runs, 29 doubles and 72 RBI in 115 games for the Hagerstown Suns and the following season, he hit .249/.315/.421 with 18 home runs, 28 doubles and 78 RBI in 127 games for the Dunedin Blue Jays. He was second in the Florida State League in home runs, behind Dan Held, who hit 21. He finished third in RBI.

In both 1996 and 1997, he was ranked a top-ten prospect in the Jays system by Baseball America. He eclipsed the 20-home run mark for the first of three times in 1996, hitting .271/.351/.453 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI in 134 games for the Knoxville Smokies. The 21-year-old was second in the Southern League in RBI (behind Derrek Lee's 104) , third in at-bats and he tied for third in games.

Jones split 1997 between the Smokies and the (86 G, 12 HR, .256 BA) and the Syracuse SkyChiefs (41 G, 3 HR, .138 BA), hitting a combined .224/.294/.395 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI in 127 games. In 1998, he hit .250/.328/.382 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI in 109 games for the Smokies. Following the season, he left the Blue Jays organization and joined the Detroit Tigers system.

He donned the Jacksonville Suns uniform in 1999, batting .253/.324/.425 with 19 home runs and 73 RBI in 125 games. His 2000 season was split between two teams - the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the independent Northern League (63 G, 13 HR, .259 BA) and the Akron Aeros in the Cleveland Indians system (56 G, 9 HR, .258 BA). In total, he hit .259/.339/.474 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI in 119 games. On August 8, with Winnipeg, he hit four home runs in one game.

In 2001, he played for the Lancaster JetHawks in the Arizona Diamondbacks system, hitting .271/.343/.489 with 22 home runs and 77 RBI in 125 games, with his 22 dingers tying for second in the California League. He played for the San Diego Padres' Mobile Bay Bears in 2002, hitting only .211/.294/.410 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI in 89 games.

Jones joined the independent ranks for good in 2003, playing at that level until the conclusion of his career in 2006. He played for the Berkshire Black Bears of the Northeast League in 2003, hitting .257/.310/.398 with 7 home runs and 41 RBI in 81 games.

He joined the Atlantic League's Camden Riversharks in 2004, with whom he would spend the rest of his career. In his inaugural season with the team, he hit .297/.391/.479 with 15 home runs and 85 RBI in 110 games. The following year, he hit .276/.357/.448 with 12 home runs and 74 RBI and in 2006, he hit .224/.294/.353 with 9 home runs and 41 RBI in 114 games.

Overall, Jones hit .253/.329/.427 with 204 home runs, 304 doubles and 921 RBI in 1,514 games. Not a speedster, he stole only 23 bases in 14 seasons - less than two per year.