Jasson Domínguez isn’t an A+ left fielder defensively — the last few months have made that abundantly clear — and he may well never get there. This has caused no small amount of consternation among fans of the New York Yankees, especially as Juan Soto heads across town and the team becomes increasingly dependent on its top prospect blossoming into a star.

But amid all the criticisms, it’s worth remembering that the Yankees aren’t depending on Dominguez winning a Gold Glove. The 22-year-old will be on the Opening Day roster because of his bat, and that bat still comes with a ton of upside — a fact that Dominguez reminded everybody of during Thursday’s Spring Training contest against the Detroit Tigers, when he went yard off of top prospect Jackson Jobe.

The Yankees’ No. 1 prospect has all the tools to be a prominent piece in their lineup for years to come. His power/speed combination has never been in question, and in the Minors, Dominguez showed off his ability to get on base at a high clip. Across four Minor League seasons, he posted a .373 on-base percentage. He also slugged .504 in 58 Minor League games in 2024. Those are impressive numbers, and if New York is going to reach its ceiling this season, they’re going to need their young outfielder to hit the ground running.

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Domínguez could lift the Yankees lineup in 2025

Aaron Boone will count on his veterans, such as Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt. But outside of those four, he’ll entrust his young players to produce. Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, and Domínguez have something to prove, and out of those three, Domínguez has far and away the most offensive potential. It’s not a knock on Volpe or Wells, but the young outfielder can change the trajectory of this Yankees lineup.

Outside of the two-time American League MVP, the Yankees don’t have anyone in their current lineup who hit over 30 home runs in either of the last two years. I’m not saying Domínguez needs to hit 30 homers in his rookie season, but his team does need him to produce offensively at a high level.

Going into 2025, Brian Cashman was hoping the strength of his team would be their pitching. They have a solid bullpen, with Devin Williams joining the picture. However, their rotation took a massive hit when both Gerrit Cole (done for the year) and Luis Gil (out at least until midsummer) went down with injury.

The American League isn’t the National League. Even without two of their top pitchers, the Yankees can still have a great season. New York’s veterans in the lineup should do what they’ve done across their careers. Domínguez is the X-factor, though. If the 22-year-old cements himself as a feared hitter, they should have no problem finding success in 2025.