As the calendar heads toward February 2026 and Spring Training looms just around the bend, the Yankees find themselves staring down a complication that few predicted back when “The Martian” was dominating prospect lists. Jasson Domínguez, once the undisputed future of the Bronx outfield, enters the new year with his roster spot anything but cemented.
The Yankees are facing a glaring problem with the 22-year-old outfielder: he has yet to prove he can be an everyday player for a championship-caliber team. With the front office aggressively exploring upgrades, Domínguez will likely have to battle for a starting job—and it is entirely possible the Yankees end up trading him before the first pitch of the season is thrown.
The Yankees’ “Switch-Hitter” Myth
The most concerning development in Domínguez’s 2025 campaign was the exposure of his drastic platoon splits. Domínguez is marketed as a switch-hitter, but the data suggests he is currently only a viable major league hitter from one side of the plate.
Looking at his 2025 splits, Domínguez was electric as a lefty facing right-handed pitching. He posted a respectable .274 batting average with 9 home runs and 32 RBIs in 288 at-bats. However, when he turned around to bat right-handed against lefties, the production evaporated. In 93 at-bats, he hit a paltry .204 with only a single home run and a .550 OPS.
Essentially, Domínguez is barely a switch-hitter at this stage. If these trends hold, he risks becoming a low-end platoon piece—a luxury the Yankees cannot afford to carry if that player offers no defensive value.
A Defensive Liability
The offensive splits might be manageable if Domínguez provided elite defense, but the 2025 metrics paint a grim picture of his fielding. Domínguez logged 793.0 innings in the outfield last season, and the results were disastrous.
According to advanced metrics, he posted -10 Outs Above Average (OAA) and -9 Fielding Run Value. His Statcast percentile rankings are even more alarming, placing his range (OAA) in the 2nd percentile of the entire league and his overall Fielding Run Value in the 5th percentile.
The Yankees simply don’t have another spot to hide him. With the outfield corners demanding competency and Center Field requiring elite range, Domínguez’s defensive struggles make him a liability. If he isn’t hitting righties at an MVP clip, his glove makes him difficult to pencil into the lineup every day.
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The Bellinger Factor and Spencer Jones
The pressure on Domínguez is compounded by external moves and internal competition. Reports indicate that the Yankees and Cody Bellinger are trying unique ideas to bridge contract gaps, a move that would immediately threaten Domínguez’s playing time.
Even if a deal for Bellinger doesn’t materialize, the Yankees might feel more comfortable handing the keys to Spencer Jones. Jones offers a profile that currently eclipses Domínguez in stability: solid defense, elite base running, and the raw power to smash 20+ home runs a season without the glaring defensive tax. While Domínguez boasts an elite Hard-Hit percentage (85th percentile), his overall production (.719 OPS and .388 SLG in 2025) hasn’t been enough to stave off the competition.
Decision Time
If Domínguez doesn’t take significant steps in the right direction regarding his defense and right-handed swing, the Yankees are in trouble. They are currently holding a player whose value is largely theoretical, based on “what could be” rather than “what is.”
The front office faces a daring strategy: commit to him and hope the 22-year-old makes a massive leap in 2026, or trade him now while he still holds prospect pedigree. If he produces another season of negative defensive value and platoon-only offense, his trade value will plummet, leaving the Yankees with a problem that has no easy solution.