Spencer Jones looks to catch a ball during the Yankees' Feb. 19 workout. Charles Wenzelberg

Justin Machado has known Spencer Jones since well before he became a top prospect and even before he coached him as a freshman at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Calif.

Access the Yankees beat like never before

Don’t miss Greg Joyce’s text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he’s giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now

Machado’s son, Austin, is a minor leaguer in the Braves system and played in Little League with Jones when they were 8 years old.

“Pretty soon, he was taller than all the coaches,’’ the coach said by phone recently. “He was always bigger and stronger than everyone else. He just had to put it all together.”

It’s a process that’s still

See Full Page