At the start of Spring Training, the New York Yankees are considering whether outfielder Jasson Domínguez will begin the 2026 season in Triple-A. Last year, Domínguez saw limited at-bats after the All-Star break, leading to discussions within the organization about his development path.
General manager Brian Cashman said he thought about sending Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the second half of last season but decided against it. “He wasn’t playing. I could have sent him to Triple-A,” Cashman said. “I didn’t think that was right to do, either. He provided the chance for us to run into something off the bench, especially with his speed to go along with [José] Caballero. But I still think there’s some upside there.”
The team’s starting outfield positions are currently held by Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham. According to a report from Jon Heyman of The New York Post, unless something unexpected happens, Domínguez is likely headed for Triple-A as he turns 23 this week.
Spencer Jones is also affected by these roster moves. Jones had been considered a candidate for left field before Bellinger signed a five-year contract worth $162.5 million in January.
Manager Aaron Boone commented on the depth of talent: “The reality is, we have a lot of really good players,” Boone said. “Jasson and Spencer are part of that.”
Domínguez made headlines when he homered in his first Major League at-bat in 2023 against Justin Verlander of the Astros but played only eight games before needing Tommy John surgery. In 2024, he appeared in just 18 major league games, mostly in September. Over 123 games last season—including minor league play—he hit .257 with 10 home runs and 23 stolen bases while playing left field.
Cashman noted that more playing time had been planned for Domínguez until Grisham’s offensive performance shifted plans.
One area targeted for improvement is Domínguez’s results against left-handed pitchers; so far in his big league career he has batted .186 with one home run and nine RBIs against them.
“We’re talking about a very, very young player that didn’t play a ton of Minor League baseball,” Boone said. “And what suffers from that? The side you don’t hit from as much. He’s a natural right-handed hitter, so I don’t think it’s out of the question that at some point the right-handed catches up to the left side.”
Asked if Domínguez could become an effective switch-hitter at the major league level, Cashman replied: “It’s a fair question that’s still an unknown.”
“It’s a lot of development that he’s missed early on, whether it was [the 2020] COVID [season] or an injury with the Tommy John,” Cashman said. “So I think there’s still the area for [saying], ‘Just go let him play.’”
With seven weeks remaining in Spring Training, decisions may depend on injuries or other roster changes before Opening Day arrives.
Another factor is Giancarlo Stanton’s health status; last year Stanton played only 77 games due to tennis elbow issues affecting both arms—a condition not fully healed but believed manageable by team staff.
Boone summarized: “We have a long time to go between now and the first Spring Training game, and certainly Opening Day,” Boone said. “You never know what’s going to come down the pike.”
