Guest Post From Thomas Ballard
November
***
While there are numerous decisions that require immediate attention such as re-signing Juan Soto, fixing the bullpen, and addressing first base, paired with a few others that potentially need to be filled: second base and a possible upgrade to the 4th/5th starting pitcher, there is one position that the Yankees have already solved - the third outfielder.
Working under the assumption Brian Cashman can navigate Scott Boras and the astronomical expected AAV for Juan Soto, the Yankees will have two cornerstones in the outfield already set: Aaron Judge and Soto. If that is the case, the front-runner for the third outfield spot would be Jasson Dominguez. The aforementioned Soto contract would greatly benefit Dominguez by limiting the Yankees' ability financially to bring in a quality veteran to compete for the remaining spot.
An everyday role for Dominguez is exactly what I would like to see. Let’s take a quick walk on his path to this point:
Early Career
Jasson Dominguez has been in the spotlight for a while, beginning when the Yankees allocated a franchise record bonus for an international free agent to acquire him in 2019. Quickly, Dominguez displayed his five-tool potential, highlighted by raw power and elite speed. Despite the potential and already high floor, he also faced some challenges in the minors, particularly with plate discipline.
2023
Toward the end of an otherwise insignificant 2023 season, the Yanks flexed their farm system power by bringing up Dominguez and other prospects such as Austin Wells and Everson Pereira. Right away Dominguez lived up to the hype (all the proof needed here). He hit homers, he looked like he belonged, but this excitement quickly came crashing down with a UCL tear after only 8 games.
2024
With most fans distracted by an outstanding start to the Yankees' season, Dominguez became somewhat of an afterthought. He was monitored by most die-hards, but it was no longer necessary for him to return as soon as possible. The Yankees were winning without him
This was until left-fielder Alex Verdugo lost all his swag. And it wasn’t just Verdugo, most of the team hit a wall. Just like that, calls for "The Martian" grew louder. I personally was ready for him. In Triple-A, he had a .309 BA and an OPS of .848 – not otherworldly but it certainly proved he was ready for an MLB call-up.
In Triple-A, he also got more time in the field, specifically as a center fielder where he graded out with a Fielding Percentage of .986 (solid).
After what seemed to be an overdue call-up (including a wild one-day call-up for the Little League Classic), Dominguez finally got promoted on September 9th. The Yankees were in a full-on AL East race against the Orioles and needed a boost. He was given a fairly easy path to accomplish the task of usurping Verdugo’s full-time role in left field.
But...Mission…failed.
Dominguez truggled against MLB pitching, showing poor plate discipline and not finding his power quite like we hoped. However, the most concerning display was on the defensive side of the ball, where he dropped ing routine balls and looked ing lost at times.
Dominguez made Aaron Boone’s decision pretty easy for Game 1 of the ALDS; it was still Verdugo’s spot. To give Verdugo credit, he showed up in the playoffs and kept any calls for Dominguez on mute.
This brings us back to today. Despite an underwhelming performance in 2024, Jasson has shown that he has the skill set to perform in the big leagues. Throughout the minors and his short stint in 2023, he displayed the potential to be an elite power-speed threat, and with consistent at-bats, the hope would be his plate discipline grows. It is important he gets the level of patience Boone gave to Volpe during his rookie year (and last year too). There is no question in my mind he should be the pre-season favorite to win Rookie of The Year.
Defensively things are slightly more worrisome. Maybe it was a case of the yips or something along those lines, but the bottom line is the defense he showed in the big leagues in 2024 is hard to feel great about as we roll into 2025. I am in the camp of people who believe a healthy off-season and spring training will help his defense significantly. Barring any position changes we can expect Dominguez to get most of his reps in left field. Soto seemed content in right and I believe Aaron Judge is unlikely to move out of center (though a corner spot or first base could be good for durability purposes).
I believe Jasson Dominguez is the best man for the job in left field for the 2025 Yankees.
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Too small of a sample size. Injuries side tracked him. We will find out soon. Remember when Melky came up? He couldn't catch a cold. When soto bolts he'll get his shot in center as judge heads back to his natural position. He needs work from the right-side, though.
The question whether Dominguez is or isn't is irrelevant. When you have a prospect such as Dominguez, when he's shown enough up & through Triple-A, and if there is an opening, that prospect is generally given a shot. That time has come.
Personally, I don't believe Dominguez was ever even 80% healthy once he came back from the oblique. But I am of the mindset that he should be in CF next year, with Judge shifting to LF. (Banking on Soto re-signing and going back to RF.)
Good post, Thomas! And I say that not merely because I agree with your conclusions. 😄 My one additional note is that Dominguez struggled in LF, which is a different experience from CF. He's more used to ball coming straight at him in center, whereas in the corner positions, they tend to slice and hook more.