Aaron Boone addressed the media today over Zoom, and in his press conference, he was asked about the Yankees’ top prospect Jasson Dominguez. The switch-hitting outfielder spent much of the season on the IL as he rehabbed from Tommy John Surgery and then suffered an oblique injury upon his return. While the Yankees opted to play Alex Verdugo over him in the postseason, his free agency completely opens up left field for the young outfielder to get everyday at-bats.
It seems as if the Yankees are viewing this as Dominguez’s chance to get full-time reps, as Boone told reporters that he expects him to be a big part of their plans in 2025.
Jasson Dominguez Could Be the Yankees Left Fielder In 2025
After putting up an 84 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR upon his return to the Major Leagues, it was clear to the Yankees that Jasson Dominguez wasn’t ready to start in the 2024 playoffs. They still put him on the 26-man roster as a bench piece who could pinch-run and provide some speed, but it should have also served as a valuable experience for 2025.
The Yankees brought Derek Jeter into their playoff clubhouse back in 1995 despite not playing him during their ALDS loss to the Mariners, and it was seen as a key part of his development. While this doesn’t ensure that Dominguez will go on to have a Hall of Fame career, it may have indicated their plans to include him in their Opening Day lineup.
He enjoyed some success at Triple-A this year in spite of his injuries, hitting seven home runs in 44 games with a 121 wRC+, and even at the Major League level he was doing tons of damage on contact. As for whether he’ll be the centerfielder or left fielder in 2025, Boone was non-committal on where Dominguez could play.
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There’s some concern with having Aaron Judge in centerfield full-time, as his defensive numbers weren’t great and it can be very taxing on his body. With that being said, left field at Yankee Stadium is widely considered to be even more difficult than left field, and Aaron Judge has not played there much in his professional career. One of the big questions the Yankees will have to answer is whether Jasson Dominguez can make the defensive leap needed to handle LF or not.
If the Yankees were to bring back Juan Soto, it would require them to play him in right field and leave Judge and Dominguez to either take left field or centerfield. The Yankees would happily take the defensive miscues to accommodate for someone like Soto, who proved to be one of the most impactful players in the entire sport last year in the regular season and postseason.
One element that Jasson Dominguez would bring to the Yankees is speed, as he swiped 15 bases in 16 attempts at the Triple-A level and swiped five bags in just 18 games at the Major League level this past season. With left field being wide open for the taking, one would assume that Jasson Dominguez is the current favorite to take over for Alex Verdugo.
An excellent athlete with enormous power, the Yankees have a high-upside rookie in Jasson Dominguez, and if he reaches his potential he could become a middle-of-the-order threat for years to come.