With the New York Yankees’ season at a close, the organization and fans alike are now looking on to the 2026 season. But before that happens, the Yankees will face a great deal of questions during the offseason. Among them are how to configure the infield (particularly at shortstop), who will make up the bullpen, and what the outfield will look like. That last question is perhaps the most unclear; with Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham both facing free agency, captain Aaron Judge is the only outfielder on the current roster who will 100% be returning next season.
Spencer Jones Could Break In with the Yankees Next Season
The Fourth Outfielder
There are no guarantees when it comes to the offseason, but it’s safe to say that the Yankees will almost certainly try to bring back either Grisham or Bellinger. During Tuesday’s press conference at Yankee Stadium, manager Aaron Boone said that he expects Jasson Domínguez to see regular playing time next season, which insinuates that they will only try to bring back one of their two free-agent outfielders, not both.
Jasson Domínguez is expected to play regularly next season, Aaron Boone said. He may play in winter ball. They envision him in left field, depending on how the offseason goes.
— Bryan Hoch
(@BryanHoch) October 16, 2025
The Yankees should know how important it is to have a solid fourth outfielder on the bench; Domínguez was actually the starting left fielder for much of the first month of 2025, with Grisham starting off the season as the “fourth outfielder”. Of course, he eventually earned an everyday role, but will the Yankees be able to find a backup outfielder for next season that could work his way into the starting lineup? Or, even better, they could stumble upon another star outfielder.
Aaron Judge 2.0
Trivial as the comparisons of being the next Aaron Judge are, top prospect Spencer Jones has still given the Yankees and their fans much to be excited about. New York’s number four overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, slashed .274/.342/.594 with 19 home runs and 48 RBI after playing his first game with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre on June 27. Standing at 6’7″ and weighing 240 pounds, it’s no wonder that Jones drew a ton of comparisons to the two-time American League MVP.
Not everything is going great for Jones, though. The 24-year-old also struck out 179 times across Double-A and Triple-A last season, walking 58 times in 506 plate appearances. This is a little concerning, even with the solid numbers he put up otherwise. Still, there were whispers that Jones could potentially get the call to the big leagues as early as next spring.
Cash-Confirmed
General manager Brian Cashman did nothing to abate these whispers during Tuesday’s press conference, when he stated that Jones has certainly put himself “in the conversation” to be in the starting lineup come 2026.
Spencer Jones has put himself “in the conversation” to be an everyday Major Leaguer in 2026, Brian Cashman said.
— Bryan Hoch
With both Jones and Domínguez having the opportunity to seize a starting spot in the outfield for 2026, this could mean that New York plans to use the two of them in place of Grisham and Bellinger. What’s more likely is that the Yankees re-sign one of them and have their two young outfielders battle it out for the third spot (though, at this point, Domínguez would probably win that battle).
No matter what happens in the offseason or in the spring, one thing is certain: they definitely have big plans for their slugger down in Triple-A. He may not be ready for MLB just yet, but the potential is clearly there. Along with Ben Rice, Cam Schlittler, and Will Warren, the Yankees could finally have a talented young core that they can build the rest of their roster around.
Main Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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