Yankees’ Youth Movement on Hold: Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones Face a Familiar Waiting Game
TAMPA, Fla. - Spring training is supposed to be the season of hope, especially for top prospects itching to make their mark. But for Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones, the 2026 version of camp feels more like a holding pattern than a launchpad.
Both outfielders are packed with potential. Both have already turned heads in meaningful ways.
But breaking into the Yankees’ Opening Day lineup? That’s a different beast entirely.
Let’s start with Dominguez. The 23-year-old switch-hitter already got a long look in the big leagues last season - 123 games, 429 plate appearances - and showed flashes of the five-tool talent that once earned him the “Martian” nickname.
But then Trent Grisham happened. The veteran center fielder found his power stroke in a big way, launching a career-high 34 home runs and forcing the Yankees to reshuffle their outfield depth chart.
Now, Dominguez finds himself backing up Cody Bellinger in left field, with no clear path to everyday at-bats. And he’s not alone in that traffic jam.
Spencer Jones, the 6-foot-7 slugger who tore up Double-A and Triple-A last season with 35 homers, 80 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases, is right behind Dominguez on the depth chart. He’s likely headed back to Triple-A to start the year - not because he hasn’t earned a shot, but because there just aren’t enough seats at the table right now.
If there’s frustration, neither player is showing it. The Yankees have a way of keeping things tight-lipped in camp, and Dominguez and Jones are sticking to the script. But make no mistake - they’re hungry, and they know what’s at stake.
There are only two realistic ways for either player to break through in the short term.
The first is the injury wildcard. Giancarlo Stanton’s durability has been a question mark for years, and if he misses time, the domino effect could open up the DH spot for Aaron Judge or Bellinger - which in turn would free up an outfield corner for Dominguez.
The second path is regression. If Grisham's 2025 power surge proves to be a one-year wonder, the Yankees may be forced to rethink his role. Despite the home run total, Grisham hit just .235 last season - a modest bump from his career .218 average - and was a non-factor in the postseason, managing just four hits in 29 at-bats without a single homer.
Still, the Yankees believe they’ve tapped into something with Grisham. They backed up that belief with a $22 million qualifying offer this winter, betting that his left-handed power will continue to play well in Yankee Stadium.
So for now, the job is Grisham’s to lose - and Dominguez and Jones are left waiting in the wings.
General manager Brian Cashman didn’t sugarcoat it when he spoke about Dominguez’s development this week. The young outfielder needs more than 100-150 plate appearances per year to grow, Cashman said - essentially confirming that Triple-A might be the best place for him to get consistent reps.
Dominguez, to his credit, is taking it in stride.
“There are things I can control and there are things I can’t control,” he said Sunday morning. “I have to be ready if the opportunity is there. So my focus is staying healthy.”
Jones, meanwhile, is a little more direct - and a little more defiant.
“I’m as confident as anyone in this room,” he said. “It’s just about going out there and proving it.”
That confidence isn’t misplaced. Jones is the Yankees’ most coveted prospect, and Cashman fielded plenty of trade interest for him this offseason. His combination of size, speed, and power is rare - and when he connects, the ball doesn’t just leave the yard, it leaves in a hurry.
But the swing-and-miss remains a concern. Jones struck out at a 35.4% clip last season, a number that would’ve led all qualified MLB hitters had he been in the majors.
(For reference, Ryan McMahon topped the bigs at 32.3%.) That’s an area that still needs refining, and the Yankees know it.
Still, they love his makeup. Like Judge, Jones is comfortable in the spotlight. He’s polished, focused, and doesn’t shy away from the expectations that come with wearing pinstripes.
“He’s earned a shot,” Cashman said - and the Yankees believe it’s only a matter of time.
Dominguez, too, has done everything asked of him. He played winter ball in the Dominican Republic to improve his defense in left field, a position that’s still relatively new to him after coming up as a center fielder. The transition hasn’t been seamless, but manager Aaron Boone sees progress.
“I think (left field) is a place where he’s got a chance to be really good,” Boone said. “He just needs the experience and needs to keep the needle moving.”
Of course, that raises the obvious question: how does a player gain experience without playing time?
Unless Boone is hinting at a return to Triple-A - where Dominguez and Jones would likely be teammates again - that experience will have to come in small doses.
Dominguez sounds like he’s already bracing for it.
“I know the decision isn’t mine, so I try not to worry about it,” he said. “People ask me about where I’m going to play, but what’s important is being mentally prepared.”
Jones is taking a similar approach, keeping the outside noise at arm’s length.
“I hear about what’s being said about me from time to time, mostly from my family,” he said. “I just try to be myself. I tell everyone, ‘I’m okay.’
“And if I’m okay, things will take care of themselves.”
For now, patience is the name of the game - even if it’s the last thing any young prospect wants to hear. But with Grisham on a one-year deal and Stanton’s health always a question, opportunity could come knocking sooner than later.
And when it does, Dominguez and Jones plan to be ready.