Erik Boland: Yankees' Jasson Dominguez raking in Triple-A while waiting for next chance in majors
Yankees' Jasson Domínguez alone on the bench after ALDS Game 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct 8, 2025, at Yankee Stadium. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Jasson Dominguez remains blocked to playing in the big leagues, but the young outfielder has been true to his word.
Ever since signing for a franchise-record $5.1 million at age 16, expectations for the young Dominican star who is popular among the Yankees fan base, have been sky-high. However, his path to the Bronx this year remains a question mark.
But Dominguez, just as popular among his teammates, continues to control what he can control, something he promised from Day 1 of the spring he would do.
Even knowing from that first day, barring an injury to one of the starting outfielders, he was all but certain to start the season where no player who has gotten a taste of the majors wants to: in the minors.
“That’s one thing that I can’t control,” the 23-year-old Dominguez said early in the spring. “I don’t make the decisions. I do my best to get the best results I can get, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now.”
The results followed.
Both throughout the spring – when results really don’t matter – and, one week into his regular season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
When results matter far more.
After hitting .347 with four doubles, two doubles and a triple and producing a 1.062 OPS in 17 Grapefruit League games, Dominguez has shrugged off the disappointment he felt when he was officially optioned to Triple-A toward the end of camp.
Entering Wednesday night’s game with Scranton, the switch-hitting Dominguez was hitting .379 (11-for-29) with two homers and a 1.110 OPS in seven games.
Those numbers contrast dramatically to those put up so far by centerfielder Trent Grisham, who is coming off a career season in 2025 in which he hit 34 homers but entered Wednesday off to a slow start at the plate, 5-for-34 (.147) with no homers in his first 10 games (he did single in his first at-bat Wednesday).
Fans clamoring for a quick Dominguez promotion should prepare to wait, with the obvious caveat that an injury could change that equation. Grisham, still a solid defender, isn’t losing his starting job any time soon. Nor should he.
But the 29-year-old is going to start hearing howls from fans soon enough should his slump continue and Dominguez, who started his first seven games in left and got a taste of center Wednesday night, keeps putting up the numbers he is with Scranton.
“He’s doing everything you’d want to see from a player in that spot,” one rival scout assigned to the Yankees’ system said of Dominguez. “The way he goes about his (pregame) work, how he is with teammates… he’s acting like a pro.”
The Yankees demoted Dominguez because they wanted him to get everyday reps, something that wasn’t going to happen at this level with a healthy Cody Bellinger, Grisham and Aaron Judge.
But though the team had an idea Dominguez would handle the demotion the way he has, this still is a player with 149 big-league games under his belt, including 123 last year.
“I’ve been there. I’ve gone back to Triple-A and it’s not the easiest thing to do,” manager Aaron Boone told Newsday before Wednesday night’s game against the A’s at the Stadium. “Many guys don’t handle it (as well).”
Boone, who played 12 years in the majors, debuted in 1997 with the Reds, playing 16 games. The next season he played 58 games with the Reds but 87 games with Triple-A Indianapolis.
“Honestly, yes, it makes me feel good,” Boone said of how Dominguez has dealt with his circumstance. “It’s a testament to him and his character and the person that he is. And that’s what we witnessed in spring training.”
Scouts have noted slow but steady growth they’ve seen from Dominguez in leftfield, where Dominguez struggled much of last year, and in his at-bats righthanded (he slashed .204/.279/.290 batting righty compared to .274/.348/.420 batting lefty).
“He walked into an obviously tough situation this spring where that was one of the talking points (starting the season in the minors), and the way he handled it was great,” Boone said. “He played really well all spring, and I feel like he’s continuing to get better.”
True to his word in controlling what he can control.
While he waits for an opportunity that may or may not come.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
