Is Jasson Domínguez’s Time With the Yankees Almost Up?

For several years, New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez has been something of a promised star in Major League Baseball.

There’s been flashes, but the almost 23-year-old has been nothing but a counting stats darling in parts of three seasons. He’s played 149 games, slashing .248/.327/.397 with a 105 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR since 2023. He has 16 home runs and 29 stolen bases, but he’s fallen far short of expectations.

The outfield for the Yankees appears set since Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer, but they need to improve the roster somehow. Thus begs the question: Is it time to move on from Domínguez?

Just last offseason, there were reports that the asking price from Houston for superstar Kyle Tucker was Domínguez and 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. Evidently, the Yankees said no thanks, thus Tucker landing in Chicago.

Sure, it’s easy to judge after the fact, but it appeared the Yankees were another elite bat away from true contention.

Fast forward to the present, the Yankees stay playing coy about building a World Series contender. They’ve even teased a desire to reduce payroll. However, without the promise of eternal Hall of Fame-caliber production from Aaron Judge, there’s pressure to win soon in the Bronx.

Remember that Domínguez is still young, so it’s important to not cast him aside as a bust just yet. There’s a reason he was nationally considered a top prospect for years. But there’s a real conversation needed about whether the Yankees can remain patient with him.

What reality does that conversation reveal?

Domínguez Doesn’t Hit Well Enough To Play the Outfield Full Time

For all of Domínguez’s faults as a hitter, there’s a level of patience earned if he’s playing the outfield at a passable level. In 2025, he ranked in the second percentile for outs above average despite logging under 800 innings.

Say what you want about his offense; he’s hitting the ball hard and walking at an above-average rate. A career 105 wRC+ isn’t winning any awards, but it’s hardly a detriment to the Yankees’ lineup. The unfortunate truth is an average bat, and significantly below-average defender, isn’t conducive to being high value.

And they can’t just move him to designated hitter, because the Yankees still have Giancarlo Stanton under contract through at least 2027. Perhaps some seasoning in Triple-A helps Domínguez, who’d undoubtedly enter 2026 as the next man up in the event of injury. But once you’re almost in the doghouse, it doesn’t take a whole lot more to nudge you into it.

If Domínguez drops into Triple-A, he’s immediately feeling the heat of top prospect Spencer Jones. Not to mention, there are also internal options on the MLB roster already such as Oswaldo Cabrera or Amed Rosario. The pathway back to the MLB roster isn’t the cleanest for Domínguez once knocked off, so the Yankees are likely avoiding that route until necessary.

Domínguez Is Too Talented to be Part-Time Player

None too dissimilar to shortstop Anthony Volpe, Domínguez is a former top prospect promised as this next Yankee great. On one hand, he’s been a stressful player to watch at the MLB level. On the other hand, he’s still too young to give up on.

He’ll be 23 for the entire 2026 season. Even with him on the roster, the Yankees are the fourth-oldest roster in baseball. Signing Tucker, or re-signing Bellinger, and moving off of Domínguez only makes them older. Yes, it also makes them better on paper, but that’d be a very short-sighted decision.

As mentioned, the Yankees don’t necessarily have time on their side with regards to Judge’s play. But they’ve maintained a contender even through flawed rosters his entire career sans 2023.

Domínguez in a platooning role makes sense, especially paired with the re-signed Rosario. Last year, he slashed .274/.348/.420 with a 116 wRC+ against right-handers. For his career, he’s a 122-wRC+ bat against righties.

However, he’s never going to get better against southpaws by not facing them. But why should he face them? In 134 career plate appearances, he’s a 55-wRC+ bat against southpaws with just six extra-base hits and a strikeout rate of 31.3 percent.

The Yankees are contending, so they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place with their left fielder. They can either be short-sighted and move him — whether to Triple-A or via trade — or deal with more growing pains in hopes to dispel these platoon concerns.

It’s not an easy decision.

Trading Him May be the Best Outcome for All Involved