Clear frontrunner emerging in Spencer Jones vs Jasson Dominguez

The New York Yankees have an outfield surplus with two people caught directly in the middle: former top prospect Jasson Dominguez and 6-foot-7 Spencer Jones, who has flippantly been referred to as a left-handed Aaron Judge.

The two’s respective Yankees stories could not be more different. New York drafted Jones 25th overall out of Vanderbilt in 2022. Dominguez, meanwhile, was a highly-hyped “bonus baby” after signing with the Yankees as a baby-faced 16-year-old in 2019 and receiving a record $5.1 million.

And sure enough, Dominguez’s MLB debut came a shade over a year after the Yankees drafted Jones, and he of course showed up with a bang. In his first career at-bat, the switch-hitter hit a two-run blast off of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. It sadly proved a short honeymoon because not even two weeks later, Dominguez needed Tommy John surgery.

The road back has not been kind to the man they once called “The Martian,” nor the Yankees’ $5.1 million investment. Since returning from Tommy John in late 2024, a now 23-year-old Jasson Dominguez has hit .247 with 12 homers and a 98 wRC+ in 141 games. Forget that Trent Grisham’s breakout campaign played a role in Dominguez’s benching. The fact of the matter is that Grisham proved he belonged in the lineup every day, and Dominguez’s struggles kept him out of it.

And here comes Spencer Jones, who entered 2025 and hit to the point of not looking like just another Joey Gallo. Instead of the usual menu of home runs, walks, or strikeouts, Jones showed up with an improved and almost unrecognizable hit tool. Even with 179 strikeouts compared to just 56 walks in 116 games, posted a .274 average at both Double and Triple-A along with 35 homers and 80 RBI, all career-bests in the minors.

But even then, Yankees fans were skeptical. Such is the Bleacher Creatures’ Joey Gallo PTSD. They’ve seen this movie before. Big tall guy slugs home runs, doesn’t do much else, becomes an automatic out before being traded for nothing.

Except in this case, Jones’ numbers might be legit along with Dominguez’s sudden decline. Both men are expected to start the season in the minors. The question is not only if both finish their seasons on the farm, but in the Yankees organization entire.

A decision could be looming sooner than we thought. Two weeks of spring training remain and one in particular has stepped up while captain Aaron Judge represents Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Let’s compare them side by side.

Dominguez is batting a respectable .296 with a .792 OPS in nine games, plus a home run and seven RBI. The downside is that he’s been way too aggressive. He has drawn one walk compared to nine strikeouts. That might fly in spring training when hitters aren’t facing a steady diet of top-of-the-line pitching. Not so much in the regular season!

Shifting to Jones, it’s hard to not get excited at his spring training output thus far. Even though he hasn’t faced much elite pitching and still needs to start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Through the same nine games, Jones is batting .333 with three homers, which make up half of his six total hits. He has six strikeouts in 22 plate appearances, but four walks add some balance.

Now, this all being said, should we expect both men to remain with the Yankees in the long-term? Probably not. Brian Cashman is a shrewd enough GM that he’ll dangle one or both at the trade deadline if pitching prospects are available. Better to sell Dominguez on a “change of scenery,” or maybe Jones’ upside if his hit tool adjustments are for real.

And yet, maybe there is still that small, narrow path for either Jasson Dominguez’s Bronx return or Jones’ Bronx debut. For all we know, both could mash in the minors while Trent Grisham regresses at the plate again. There’s every chance his breakout 34-homer campaign is a blip on the radar and he goes back to hovering around the Mendoza line with intermittent home runs. In which case, perhaps the Yankees trade his expiring deal at the deadline. This lets them gamble on either Jones or Dominguez’s minor league success (fingers crossed) following them to MLB.

But even then, the numbers on paper say it all. At this point, it’s looking more worth it to keep Spencer Jones around and admit defeat on Jasson Dominguez. Tommy John surgery is a major operation that affects everyone differently. The Martian’s arm simply hasn’t bounced back as hoped.

Both men have prime opportunities to make their case with Judge gone. It’s not just about stepping up in performance, but leadership. And Jones’ commitment to improving has drawn his captain’s attention.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve noticed swing-wise is he’s just ready to hit,” Judge said in a recent YES appearance. “The minute he puts that foot down with the little toe-tap, he’s ready to hit.”