Every rising star expects the stage to be theirs the moment they arrive. But sometimes, someone else steals the spotlight first.
That’s the reality for Yankees‘ Jasson Dominguez right now — a player once dubbed “The Martian” who now finds himself grounded by the emergence of a red-hot veteran.
Dominguez didn’t imagine his long-awaited call-up would come with time on the bench.
But baseball rarely sticks to the script.
Instead, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is juggling present momentum and future promise, trying to balance short-term wins with long-term dreams.
Grisham’s breakout has changed everything
Trent Grisham has become the wrench in the machine — a veteran many expected to be a placeholder is now producing like a star.
He’s batting .286 with a .360 OBP and a ridiculous .610 slugging percentage, smashing eight home runs in the early going.
With that kind of thunder, Boone has no choice but to keep him in the lineup.
The Yankees are trying to win now. And Grisham’s bat is making that easier every night.
Even if he’s likely gone in free agency after the season, his presence is changing this year’s dynamics.
Dominguez is still struggling to adjust
On the other side is Dominguez, a 22-year-old switch-hitter still trying to catch his breath in the big leagues.
He’s hitting just .223 with a .311 OBP and a .362 slugging percentage, managing only two home runs.
The hard-hit percentage is solid at 50%, but the rest of the advanced metrics are less encouraging.
His strikeout rate sits at 31.7%, and he’s chasing pitches nearly a third of the time.
Even his exit velocity and barrel rates fall short of what the Yankees saw in the minors.
Dominguez is showing glimpses — loud contact, fast hands — but the consistency just isn’t there yet.
Why the Yankees are choosing wins over reps
This isn’t about giving up on Dominguez. It’s about capitalizing on a hot bat when the team is chasing a championship.
The Yankees can’t afford to leave Grisham’s offense on the bench, especially not during a year loaded with pressure.
With Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger added to the mix, there’s a clear push to go all-in right now.
That means tough calls. And for now, Dominguez is the one taking the hit in playing time.
Development isn’t always linear — and that’s okay
Think of Dominguez’s journey like climbing a mountain with fog near the summit.
You know the peak is there, but sometimes you have to stop and reorient before reaching it.
He’s still one of the most gifted young talents in the organization, and his time will come — it’s just not guaranteed to be immediate.
Boone and the Yankees are threading a needle between nurturing potential and riding the momentum of a veteran on fire.
The future still belongs to Dominguez
Even if his bat stays quiet a little longer, Dominguez isn’t going anywhere.
The front office sees him as a long-term building block, and he’ll have his opportunities.
But for now, Grisham is writing a different script — one the Yankees can’t afford to ignore.
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