Isotopes speedster Greg Jones hopes recent trade puts him on fast track to the Majors

Life can change fast in professional sports.

So fast sometimes, even a man making his living off speed can get blindsided by it.

Such is the case of Greg Jones, who less than three weeks ago was still a prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays organization — the one that drafted him in the first round, No. 22 overall, out of UNC-Wilmington in 2019.

Then came the call on March 21 that threw his life into a whirlwind.

“We were about a week away from breaking (Spring Training) camp and I had already been optioned down with the Rays, so I was pretty much going to Triple-A Durham, and I’m from Raleigh (30 minutes away), so it wasn’t the worst thing,” recalled Jones on Tuesday at Isotopes Park.

“Yeah, I’d say it caught me unexpected for sure,” Jones said.

The first major “this is a business” moment in the 26-year-old Jones’ young career came March 21 when the former first-round pick who was listed as the No. 23 prospect in the Rays’ minor league system, was traded. The only organization he had ever played for sent Jones to the Colorado Rockies for former second-round pick Joe Rock, a left-handed pitcher rated as the No. 15 prospect in the Rockies organization.

The Rockies have openly talked about their desire to get faster and more athletic, not to mention openly looking for regular backups to both shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle. With the switch-hitting speedster Jones, they have a chance to check a lot of boxes.

“He’s a multi-positional player, dynamic with the speed and has shown a little bit of power, so we’ll see,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters in Arizona when the trade occurred. “Hopefully with a change of scenery he can come into his own as a weapon who can help us beat the opponent, with defense capabilities. Potentially there’s some upside, what he’s shown in the minor leagues with Tampa Bay.”

Jones played 192 games in the Rays’ system at shortstop and 113 more there in college.

But so far with the Isotopes in six games, he’s played once as a shortstop and gotten five starts in center field, including Tuesday night’s series opener against the visiting Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

Sunday Jones made a diving catch in right-center field in the bottom of the third followed by a lightning-quick hop up and bullet throw to third base to get a tagging Oklahoma City runner. It was described on the game broadcast by longtime Isotopes play-by-play announcer Josh Suchon “maybe the play of the year just now... My goodness, what a play!”

Added Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez on Tuesday when asked about the play, “That was pretty impressive. Not only the catch, but I think the throw as well.”

But while defensive versatility is a huge part of what might get Jones over the hump and secure his first call-up to the majors in the Rockies organization (he is on Colorado’s 40-man roster), there’s no question speed is the most dangerous weapon in Jones’ arsenal.

Modestly, he wouldn’t say whether he’s the fastest player on the Isotopes’ roster (he is). Lopez had no problem answering the same question.

“Oh, yeah,” Lopez said with a laugh. “He might be the fastest in the league. I mean, he can really run.”

Jones has 118 stolen bases in his minor league career and has been caught stealing four times (four stolen bases and one caught stealing entering Tuesday’s game this season with Albuquerque). But he hit just .244 over 71 games in Double-A and Triple-A last year.

Jones was then shut down with a hamstring injury and is now focused on getting on base with the Isotopes, where he’ll be working closely with Albuquerque native and third-year hitting coach Jordan Pacheco.

Jones is hitting .200 with the Isotopes so far, but entering Tuesday’s game had drawn more walks (5) than he had hits (4), and both work the same for a player the team just wants on base to utilize his speed.

Jones’ upside is still considered high, but he’s getting to a crossroads in his career where it needs to all start coming together. And he’s hoping this unexpected dose of the business side of baseball booting him out of his comfort zone does the trick.

“(The trade) is definitely the biggest turning point in my career, I would say,” Jones said.

But it’s only a turning point if something turns.

“I’m always looking at the positives,” Jones said. “At first, you look at it and I was like, darn. I’m leaving a whole bunch of friends and family. Guys I’ve known and grew up in the game with since day one. But then you look into it and you see a lot of opportunities. ...

“I see a bunch of opportunity here, being as versatile as I can, play infield and outfield, being a plus-plus base runner and being able to hit from both sides of the plate. I feel like I can really be a tool that can be used in a lot of different ways.”