Aaron Boone said he expects Jasson Dominguez will be “a big part of things moving forward.”
There is a good chance he will have to be.
One of the most important wild cards for the 2025 season, as the Yankees stand in mid-November at least, revolves around Dominguez’s progress this winter and next spring.
Among the many step-ups that are possible, a Dominguez emergence would be enormous.
If the Yankees manage to bring back Juan Soto — a dicey proposition considering the competition and historic contract — there would not be a ton of room for many reinforcements.
FanGraphs is estimating the Yankees, as of today, project for a $245 million payroll for tax purposes in 2025.
Add Soto and his, say, $45 million per season, and the Yankees would have to be creative to import further while staying below the $301 million, final luxury-tax level that Hal Steinbrenner wants to limbo back under.
So if there wouldn’t be much further help externally, it would need to come internally.
And if Dominguez — still the organization’s No. 1 prospect and one of the most hyped teenage signings ever — can help, a few problems would be solved.
The first problem: Among 41 qualified center fielders last season, Aaron Judge ranked 40th in Outs Above Average.
His error in Game 5 of the World Series was a fluke; his downturn at the position over the course of a long season that he played at 32 years old likely was real.
The Yankees acquired Harrison Bader in 2022 in an effort to keep Judge in right field and spare his legs.
Three years later, they again will hope they do not have to ask a 6-foot-7 giant to sacrifice his body every day at one of the most physically taxing positions.
What if Dominguez, who came through the system as a center fielder, can push Judge to left field while Soto typically plays right? It would be a dream configuration if Dominguez can prove himself defensively.
In ’21 and ’22, Dominguez received solid marks from scouts and onlookers for his work in center as he rose through the system.
He began moving around the outfield in ’23, when the injuries began, too.
By the time he was called up in 2024, his defense in primarily left and center was abysmal.
Dominguez, who required Tommy John surgery in ’23 then missed significant time last season with an oblique strain, played in just 44 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year before getting his chance in September.
With a chance to run away from Alex Verdugo in a left field competition, Dominguez instead was lapped as he misplayed three fly balls in a week — misjudging a ball in center, dropping one in left and overrunning a third in left that became a two-run single from Baltimore’s Colton Cowser.
Maybe the moment and the stakes got to the 21-year-old. Maybe his defense and reads were rusty amid so much missed time. Maybe these issues can be fixed by April.
“I’m in that camp of people that think he’s going to be a great big league player,” Boone said this week. “I love his makeup. I love his talent.
“… Always know as a young player, you’re working to earn those things and earn those opportunities. I fully expect him to be a big part of what we do this coming year — whether it’s center or left remains to be seen. It depends how our offseason shakes out.”
There are not many center fielders on the market. Bader is probably the best, which will put the light-hitting defensive whiz in line for a significant contract and likely means a player such as Michael A. Taylor will be earning at least a few million.
There is uncertainty whether Trent Grisham will be back, and Spencer Jones has not forced his way to the majors.
An upturn from Dominguez might be the Yankees’ best hope in center.
His bat could solve a second problem.
There might not be a better bet for a Yankees-prospect breakthrough than Dominguez, who looked like he was ready when he homered four times in eight games of his 2023 debut.
Following the injuries, he forced his way back to The Bronx last season during a torrid 18-game stretch in August and September in Triple-A in which he hit .347 with four home runs and seven steals.
The hot streak did not follow him to the majors, quiet over the final three weeks of the season as Verdugo won the job for October.
Could a normal, injury-free offseason help unlock one of the top prospects in the sport?
“I continue to be super excited about Jasson’s future,” Boone said.
