Yankees Jasson Dominguez Far From a Bust for Now

Jasson Dominguez still has a ton of baseball ahead of him. It stinks that the New York Yankees sent him down to start the season, and Randal Grichuk feels like an obvious June DFA candidate, but at 23, he still has plenty of time to contribute to the big league club.

Consider the fact that Aaron Judge, the current face of baseball and one of the best right-handed hitters of all-time — a player that has hit heights that neither Manny Ramirez nor Alex Rodriguez has — broke into the league at 25. At this point in Dominguez's career, he has shown more than Judge had then.

At 23, Judge was getting opportunities in Futures Games and hoping for a shot at the big club. While Dominguez was nothing more than a league-average hitter in his first full season, it's still a good amount of big league experience before he's even 25.

Mar 13, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts during the third inning against Canada during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, in the world of sweeping statements normalized by Stephen A. Smith and meme pages run by some miscreants that grew up on Boston sports, it's an unpopular thing to say that Dominguez needs everyday reps. If he isn't getting that with the big club, Scranton should be that place.

This isn't to say that fans and media should have blind faith in the Cashman/Boone/Steinbrenner triumvirate, who have crafted one of the longer championship droughts in the organization's history. Still, baseball is baseball, and sitting on the bench isn't going to help Dominguez develop into the hitter he needs to be.

Room for Dominguez in the Future

A 162-game season is long. A lot can happen between game one and the conclusion of the World Series. The avenues for Dominguez to contribute this season will be there. Trent Grisham could be a one-hit wonder, or they may be hit with injuries in the outfield. Also, everybody understands Giancarlo Stanton's injury history. That alone will give Dominguez a shot to compete for every day playing time.

Mar 10, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) prepares to take batting practice before a game against the New York Yankees during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

To trade Dominguez now just because he doesn't make sense for the roster at the current moment is short-sighted. Even if he doesn't get a runway in 2026, a post-2027 Yankee World will be nearing the end of Stanton's run in New York. It's also likely that Grisham will be gone by the end of this season. Either the Yankees won't pay him if he has a successful year, or he may turn into the Grisham of old, and there won't be a reason to pay him then either.

On top of that, Judge will eventually be a DH. That will clear up more room in the outfield for not just Dominguez but also Jones.

It isn't cool to avoid sweeping statements, and practicing patience for players is even less of a vogue statement. Still, that's the only choice the Yankees have unless an impact player becomes available through trade, and these are the players teams are requesting. That just isn't happening, though, and if it did, the Yankees would have made that move by now. They haven't exactly been meek about trading prospects the last few years.

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