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With Juan Soto’s exit, Jasson Dominguez becomes very important for Yankees
With Juan Soto’s exit, Jasson Dominguez becomes very important for Yankees
It’s been less than 24 hours since Juan Soto left the New York Yankees to sign the richest deal in sports history with the New York Mets, a move that would’ve never been conceivable 10 years ago.
Now, with Winter Meetings having arrived, the Yankees are scrambling for answers to help salvage their offseason.
The reality is there’s no good plan B–or one that will take just one offseason. In fact, there probably was no plan B that didn’t involve Soto; he’s a future Hall of Fame slugger in the middle of his prime that just helped New York earn its first World Series bid in 15 years. A hitter of his talent doesn’t grow on trees, and any combination of players likely won’t fill up the gargantuan hole left by Soto.
We can all theorize, but nobody earnestly has answers for what’s to come in the Bronx over the next several months. That said, one of the biggest beneficiaries of Soto’s departure is none other than 21-year-old outfielder Jasson Dominguez, who’s barely scratched the surface in the bigs.
Nicknamed “The Martian,” the Yankees signed Dominguez in 2019–when he was 16-years-old–for a $5 million signing bonus. He immediately drew Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout comparisons (which was probably unfair). So the pressure has always been on Dominguez, especially being a part of one of the most prized and popular franchises in sports.
Long being one of baseball’s top prospects throughout his journey in the minors, Dominguez was called up toward the end of 2023. He crushed an opposite-field homer in his first career at-bat against Justin Verlander, and proceeded to hit three more homers over his next seven games before undergoing Tommy John Surgery. That ultimately led him to miss most of 2024, failing to achieve any day-to-day rhythm behind left fielder Alex Verdugo.
Now with Soto’s departure, as of right now, there’s a clear alleyway for everyday at-bats for Dominguez. I think he’s better suited as a corner outfielder, but until they find a legitimate center field option outside of Aaron Judge (they don’t), he’s currently slated as their starting center fielder.
Again, there’s no immediate replacement for Juan Soto’s impact in the lineup–no matter how many players you conjure together. As weird as it might sound, the Yankees don’t have an identity. Brian Cashman will have to get creative–even then, it may not be enough to put New York over the top in a wide-open American League.
If you’re looking for an answer to “who benefits most?” from Soto’s departure, a strong argument could be made for Dominguez. It’s unfair to unload a boatload of expectations onto him like a dump truck, but we’ve also been hearing about his talent and prowess since before COVID-19 … that’s a long time.
He’s got exceptional power, speed and above-average bat-to-ball skills while possessing a good–albeit inconsistent–eye. The fielding leaves a little to be desired, but he doesn’t have a bad arm and can use his speed to mitigate any shortcomings.
He’s nowhere near Juan Soto, but the Yankees may need him to break out in 2025 more than any other player currently on their roster. To use baseball nomenclature: Batter up, Jasson … it’s now your time.
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