How Yankees have failed former top prospect Jasson Dominguez

The Yankees' huge mistake

Grisham shockingly accepted the Yankees' qualifying offer on Nov. 18, returning to the Bronx on a one-year, $22.025 million deal. 

This came as a surprise on all fronts, and many fans were unhappy with the news. Although Grisham had a career year in 2025, crushing 34 homers and posting an .812 OPS, this decision may change the course of the Bombers' offseason and Dominguez's career. 

The unlikely breakout campaign from Grisham stifled a Dominguez development year last season, but it was warranted. Both the fans and front office alike want the young outfielder to develop, but Grisham earned himself the role he was in over the course of the year. That said, it's long overdue to let Dominguez have his run as a full-time outfielder.

Jasson Dominguez's ruined development

In just 381 at-bats this season, Dominguez batted .257, with 10 homers and 23 stolen bases. When he did get opportunities to start, it came after days of sitting on the bench or being randomly inserted into a late-game scenario, where he would be promptly taken out due to fielding concerns.

Dominguez racked up 271 at-bats before the All-Star break and slashed .266/.343/.417 during that stretch, but the longer the season dragged on, the fewer opportunities he was given. Dominguez received only 110 at-bats after the All-Star break, and slashed a lowly .236/.288/.309.

With his dwindling chances to make an impact at the dish, Dominguez struggled to showcase his defensive prowess while learning left field. A natural center fielder, Yankees management tried the young outfielder in left, where he was one of the worst defenders in baseball, posting -10 Outs Above Average this season.

This is not the first time the Yankees have tried this experiment with a promising young outfielder, as former top prospect Clint Frazier was put through a similar gauntlet of grinding to earn playing time and learn a new position on the fly. After being developed solely as a center fielder, some outfielders can shift to either right or left field and make it seem effortless, but, like Frazier, Dominguez did not have such luck.  

Once a top prospect, confident when leaving Triple-A, he now second-guesses himself both in the field and at the plate because of limited chances. With Grisham's return to the Bronx, his confidence and playing time are likely to stay the same. 

What's next for Dominguez?

While it looks to be another year of platooning and riding the pine for Dominguez, he could still be traded. 

Although Dominguez's value isn't as high as it was in previous years, some teams still want to add his tools to their roster and give him a shot to become a full-time outfielder. The Yankees' front office isn't hesitant to move him either, as they offered Dominguez in a trade for closer Jhoan Duran during the 2025 trade deadline. 

Unless New York strikes out on acquiring another outfielder, the best move for the Yankees' front office is to trade Dominguez, who will enter his age-23 season in 2026, rather than let him lose value on the bench. Whether it’s a solid bullpen or rotation arm, or a big deal with many moving parts, the switch-hitting slugger should now be viewed as a key trade asset over the winter. 

A dark, gloomy cloud looms over the Dominguez era in the Bronx. An unfortunate UCL injury might have sidelined him for a season, but most of the setbacks came from mismanagement. 

After being played out of position, not given enough opportunities and nearly forgotten four years into his long-awaited career, Dominguez appears to be another casualty of the Yankees' development system.