Insider Reveals Where Yankees Could Deploy Jasson Dominguez in 2025 Lineup

After the offseason departure of superstar outfielder Juan Soto, questions have been swirling about the New York Yankees lineup construction.

Leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres also left for the Detroit Tigers, and one MLB Insider provided an interesting candidate who could take his spot in the batting order.

Jack Curry of the YES Network revealed on Thursday’s Yankees Hot Stove that he believes the team could put phenom Jasson Dominguez in the leadoff position ahead of 2024 AL MVP winner Aaron Judge.

Might the Martian land at the top of the Yankees' lineup?@RealMichaelKay & @JackCurryYES think it's possible that Jasson Domínguez could bat leadoff for the Yanks in 2025. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/V9CfGTsXxG
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 10, 2025

“I do think that Dominguez is the interesting candidate,” said Curry as the panel reviewed potential leadoff hitters for next season. “(Anthony) Volpe gives you that speed but he simply does not get on base enough and as Michael (Kay) pointed out, (Jazz) Chisholm and (Cody) Bellinger you want in the middle of the order. Bellinger has only led off twice in his career.”

Most projections for the Yankees’ order have Dominguez batting near the bottom, with either Chisholm or Volpe hitting leadoff. Last year, Torres hit leadoff ahead of Judge and Soto in the second half of the season and playoffs.

Across 18 major league games last season, Dominguez failed to live up to his lofty expectations, although he flashed signs of his sky-high potential. He provided a slash line of .179/.313/.304 with two home runs and four RBI. He missed significant time in the first half of the season while recovering from 2023 elbow surgery before suffering an oblique strain in June.

The Yankees have high hopes for Jasson Dominguez in 2025. — Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) hits a single against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Dominguez came up in September to replace the struggling Alex Verdugo as the Yankees' starting left fielder. However, Dominguez had troubles defensively, which saw Verdugo reclaim the left field job for the entire postseason.

The key to Dominguez being a potential lead-off hitter is his strong on-base skills and underrated speed. During his stint with the Yankees, he posted a respectable .313 OBP and took 11 walks to 19 strikeouts. Once on base, Dominguez went five for five stealing bases, something that will be useful if he can get on base ahead of Judge.

Dominguez’s stats from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre illustrate a much more complete offensive picture. The Martian slashed .314/.376/.504 in 58 games with 11 home runs, 35 RBI, and 16 stolen bases.

In addition to his on-base skills and speed, Dominguez is a switch-hitter, adding another layer of versatility to the leadoff role. Slotting Dominguez in at the top of the order would bump the heart of the lineup down, potentially creating matchup nightmares for opposing bullpens.

It seems unlikely the Yankees would start the season with Dominguez hitting leadoff but he has the skillset and talent to play his way to the top of the order. The Yankees will be watching the Martian closely during Spring Training to see if he is a suitable candidate to leadoff one of the most potent offensive lineups in baseball.

As the panel suggested, the Yankees are likely to start with either Volpe or Bellinger at leadoff to start the year.

2025 belongs to JASSON DOMINGUEZ👽🛸 #Yankees pic.twitter.com/fgJulwOZ40
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) January 7, 2025

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