Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez rises as top prospect, enters 2025 as Rookie of the Year favorite

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Jasson Dominguez is facing the biggest opportunity of his young career. MLB Pipeline has officially named him the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect, and DraftKings has placed him as the odds-on favorite to win the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year. The Yankees are betting big on Domínguez—and now, all eyes are on whether he can live up to the hype in his first full MLB season.

The LF experiment: Dominguez’s key to a starting role

MLB Pipeline’s latest Top 30 Yankees Prospects list was released on Monday, with Domínguez at the top, followed by shortstop George Lombard Jr. and outfielder Spencer Jones. While Lombard and Jones aim to bounce back from challenging 2024 seasons, Domínguez is stepping into the spotlight as the franchise’s most promising young talent.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has committed to giving Dominguez a “full runway” to secure the starting left-field job—a move that could cement him as one of baseball’s next breakout stars.

While Domínguez’s offensive upside is undeniable, his defense in left field remains a work in progress. The Yankees are committed to developing him, knowing they don’t have a clear Plan B if he struggles. With Juan Soto gone and Cody Bellinger locked into center, the position is Domínguez’s to lose.

During Grapefruit League action, Domínguez has shown flashes of brilliance but has also experienced growing pains. In one game, he misjudged a deep fly ball from Edmundo Sosa, allowing a double that could have been an out.

Boone, however, isn’t overly concerned:

“That’s about as tough a play as you’re going to have,” Boone said. “I guess it’s always a story every time JD has one of these, but that one’s top-spinning over your head, bullet, tough play. We still got work to do, obviously.”

The Yankees need Domínguez to succeed in left field because there’s no clear backup plan.

Trent Grisham? More of a fourth outfielder. Oswaldo Cabrera? Battling for the third-base job. Everson Pereira? Still developing in the minors.

The Yankees’ strategy is clear: let Dominguez play through his mistakes and hope he figures it out by Opening Day.

Why Dominguez is the AL Rookie of the Year favorite

Despite defensive question marks, Domínguez’s raw talent is undeniable. Since signing with the Yankees for $5.1 million in 2019, he has been compared to some of the game’s elite talents. His power, speed, and bat-to-ball skills make him a legitimate 20/20 candidate (20+ homers, 20+ steals) in 2025.

DraftKings has placed Domínguez ahead of all other AL rookies in the Rookie of the Year race:

Latest AL Rookie of the Year Odds (via DraftKings)

• Jasson Domínguez (Yankees) +380
• Roman Anthony (Red Sox) +550
• Kristian Campbell (Tigers) +800
• Jacob Wilson (Athletics) +800
• Jackson Jobe (Tigers) +900

A Yankees scout recently raved about his potential:

“If he puts it all together, he’s a 20/20 guy right now. Power, speed, arm, bat speed—you don’t see many guys built like that.”

For Domínguez, everything is lined up for a breakout season—he just needs to seize the opportunity.

The Yankees are giving him the chance to prove he’s the future of their outfield. The AL Rookie of the Year race is his to lose. Now, it’s up to Domínguez to take the next step and establish himself as the next great Yankee.

George Lombard Jr. Impresses in Yankees Camp

While Domínguez takes center stage, George Lombard Jr. is quietly making waves in Yankees camp.

According to Bryan Hoch, about an hour before Aaron Judge took the field for his first Grapefruit League game on Saturday, he watched Lombard Jr. at third base, scooping up grounders and firing precise throws to Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second.

“I was really impressed,” Judge said. “Seeing him move over to third base, he’s got a great arm. He was accurate. He was hitting every single guy in the chest. Smooth hands; Anthony Volpe is one of the best shortstops I’ve ever seen, and you put [Lombard] right next to him at third base, it’s pretty cool to see that on the left side of the infield.”

Lombard’s impact wasn’t limited to defense. Later that day, he crushed a 414-foot homer off Astros lefty Bennett Sousa, a no-doubter that manager Aaron Boone called “a little peek at a young, physical kid continuing to develop into his body.”

At 19, Lombard is the youngest player in big league camp, but his maturity stands out. Drafted in the first round in 2023, he spent last season splitting time between Single-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. Now, he’s soaking in every moment, sharing breakfasts with Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, watching Judge’s every move, and learning from veterans around him.

“It’s been awesome. It’s been so much fun,” Lombard said. “It’s just been great to have a wealth of knowledge around me that I can learn from.”

With a strong work ethic inherited from his father, former MLB outfielder George Lombard Sr., the young infielder has seamlessly stepped into Yankees camp and owned the moment.

“In your first camp, you’re trying to come in here, you’re trying to impress and sometimes you can maybe do a little too much,” Judge said. “But he has stepped right in and has kind of owned it all. He’s a hard worker, just like his dad. I’m excited for his future, that’s for sure.”

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