In the final month of the regular season and throughout the postseason, one of the New York Yankees’ biggest challenges was finding playing time for outfielder Jasson Domínguez.
Domínguez, 21, was not initially promoted for September call-ups as many had expected, but he arrived eight days later as an injury replacement for DJ LeMahieu. In his 18-game stint, he hit .179/.313/.304 with two home runs, four RBI, and five stolen bases.
During the postseason, Domínguez’s role was nearly nonexistent. The Yankees kept him on the 26-man roster as a bench piece, mostly to pinch-run and add speed. He appeared in just three games and did not make a plate appearance throughout their October run to the World Series.
With starting left fielder Alex Verdugo now a free agent, the door to regular playing time has swung wide open. Superstar right fielder Juan Soto is also testing the free-agent market, leaving both corner spots unoccupied for the moment.
“I fully expect him to be a big part of what we do this coming year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when asked about Domínguez during Monday’s press conference. He added that whether Domínguez plays center field or left field will depend on how the rest of the roster takes shape.
The switch-hitting outfielder spent much of the 2024 season on the injured list, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and later suffering from an oblique injury upon his return. With Aaron Judge taking over center field duties in his absence, Domínguez was asked to learn left field on the fly, where he struggled defensively.
As Judge enters his age-33 season, there are concerns about the physical toll of a full-time center field role, which could pave the way for Domínguez to return to his natural position.
While Domínguez did not replicate the offensive production from his brief September 2023 call-up, where he posted a .980 OPS with four home runs in eight games, his offensive potential was still evident. He made solid contact at the major league level, and in Triple-A, he hit seven home runs and posted a 121 wRC+ in 44 games.
FanGraphs projects Domínguez to hit .249/.326/.417 with 20 home runs, 66 RBI, 20 stolen bases, and a 112 wRC+ in 2025. That would represent an improvement over Verdugo’s 2024 output, which included a .233/.291/.356 slash line, an 83 wRC+, 13 home runs, and 61 RBI.
Domínguez will retain his rookie status in 2025, and with the opportunity to earn everyday at-bats, he is likely to be an early favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors. In the event he wins the award, the Yankees would receive a compensatory draft pick after the first round in 2026.
If New York is able to retain Soto, they could roll out one of the highest-upside offensive outfields in the game. Of course, defense would remain a work in progress—something they will need to address, especially after it was a weak point during their World Series loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
