Under normal circumstances, the New York Yankees wouldn’t be too concerned with their top prospect slumping in spring training. Unfortunately, these are not normal circumstances. With multiple major injuries on the pitching and fielding fronts, the Yankees need all the help that they can get, and that includes some from Jasson Domínguez.
As the team’s most hyped prospect in recent memory, Domínguez has had few opportunities thus far to prove himself worthy of the hype. The results have been a mixed bag, with some flashes of plate prowess and incredible speed, but also concerning defensive blunders. So far this spring, the 22-year-old hasn’t done much to settle these concerns. If, for any reason, things don’t work out in left field with Domínguez, New York must explore options for a plan B.
Yankees Looking at Outfield Alternatives Amid Domínguez’s Defensive Struggles
Silent Spring
At the beginning of spring training, both manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman said that the young outfielder would have to earn the left field spot before the season began. On Thursday, Boone spoke to NJ.com’s Randy Miller, talking about whether Domínguez had earned the starting job in left: “I’d like to think so, yeah, but we’ll see. We’re two weeks away. So important days for him, still getting those reps and continuing to get that experience. But there’s no reason in time he should be really good.”
But has he really proven himself this spring? Over 35 at-bats, Domínguez is slashing .229/.270/.400 with five RBI and two homers; these stats look much better after Thursday’s matchup against the Detroit Tigers, when Domínguez slapped a two-run home run off fellow top prospect Jackson Jobe. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but these are not the numbers of a 22-year-old rookie who has supposedly “earned it”.
Jasson Dominguez homered today off Jackson Jobe.
Wait for the slo-mo angle of it
Dominguez (28th) and Jobe (3rd) both rank prominently on our Top 100.
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via @jnorris427) pic.twitter.com/dZKigOILC8
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 13, 2025
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Time for Growth
Regardless of what things are looking like right now, it’s important to remember that Domínguez is still just 22 years old, and he only has 87 career regular-season at-bats. Of course, it’s slightly concerning considering that he will almost certainly be starting in left on Opening Day, but adjusting to the major-league level can take time, even for the best of prospects. The true test will be how he plays during the regular season. Granted, he’s still adjusting to left field, and it seems that he’ll have some time to get comfortable there since it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone primed to take his place.
Secondary Options
But, hypothetically, if Domínguez either gets hurt or struggles so badly that the Yankees will be forced to bench him, what will they do? The last thing they want to do is bring in another Alex Verdugo-esque player to drag the lineup down even further than it already is. This lineup cannot afford to take any more blows, since there is virtually zero depth at the bottom of the order. If the Yankees are planning on finding internal solutions for a steady offense (which, according to Cashman’s recent comments about spending, they are), then they’ll need quite a bit of luck.
In terms of the Yankees outfield, there is always the defensively reliable Trent Grisham, but like Verdugo, his superb defense is mitigated by a lackluster bat. Ideally, he’ll remain the fourth outfielder and nothing more. There’s also Dominic Smith, who is looking like his 2020-21 self this spring, hitting .314 with two homers and a .954 OPS. Conversely, with Smith, you’d substitute what is hopefully a decent bat for less-than-ideal defense. If the Yankees want a boost in offensive production, it likely won’t come from the outfield.
Best Case Scenario
Of course, New York doesn’t even have to entertain this dilemma if Domínguez plays to their expectations. Even playing to an average level would be huge for a Yankee team that currently looks worse off than when they had Aaron Judge and Juan Soto carrying the entire lineup. So, though “The Martian” isn’t looking very otherworldly in spring training, don’t doubt him just yet. How well he plays could heavily influence the outcome of this season for New York.
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