One factor that the New York Yankees are looking to in 2026 is Jasson Dominguez. The outfielder is within the plans of the club, but his recent performance is causing major questions and concerns.
Dominguez is the club’s top prospect that’s currently in the major leagues. The outfielder is heavily looked upon to fill gaps offensively and defensively. He is one of the grassroots options the Yankees have hope for in the coming seasons.
Rough Winter League Performance Causes Panic for this Yankees Outfielder
Dominguez was one of the hottest names to come out of international free agency and became a superstar before becoming a “superstar”.
So far, his presence in the league has been creating a delayed judgement. Dominguez’s recent statistics have popped up some question marks within the Yankees environment.
Jasson Dominguez Has Been Playing Winter Ball but It Doesn’t Appear to Be Great
The Yankees sent their top prospect to the Dominican Winter League to polish his craft. The outfielder is currently playing with Leones Del Escogido. Dominguez has played in 11 games so far, recording 46 plate appearances.
He has 38 at-bats, three RBIs on seven hits, three extra-base hits, no home runs, two runs scored, seven walks, and nine strikeouts.
So far he’s slashed a .184 batting average with a .304 on-base percentage, and .263 slugging percentage. His on-base percentage has been reflected mostly through his walks. It could just be that he’s not getting his pitches.
The other possible explanation could be that he’s making tweaks and changes to his approach and or swing. This could result in a lack of production by way of trial and error.
Regardless, this is alarming to Yankees fans, and does not sell his overall profile as a factor in the 2026 lineup. The offense is already a point of interest to the Yankees. The offense failed them in the 2025 postseason. This is what fuels the search for a bat.
Dominguez Did Show Out Decently in his 2025 Campaign
This past season, Dominguez played in 123 games, recording 381 at-bats. He finished with 98 hits, 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, and scored 58 times. The outfielder struck out 115 times, only walking 41 times, which is not very impressive.
Dominguez did steal 23 bases, making him valuable on the pads. He finished with slashes of .257/.331/.388. The Yankees prospect has a lot of potential on the offensive end. With a full season, he’d be able to show out better.
Should the Yankees Panic?
The short answer is yes. Dominguez has three Major League seasons under his belt and has not exactly shown out in awe. We all know the potential the prospect brings, but the gamble of his success may not be ideal.
Aaron Judge will play right field and can play center field as well. Trent Grisham can also play center field and left field. This leaves one spot to fill in the outfield on permanency. Giancarlo Stanton will no longer play consistently in the outfield. This will be between Dominguez and either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker.
Dominguez may actually be one of the Yankees most valuable trade commodities. His value is fruitful in the market, and his trade off could be used to improve the team. This is if they land one of the star outfielders.
At the end of the day, the winter league is not a make or break, but could be an accurate presumptive showcase.
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