Former Yankees top prospect's future is in doubt thanks to Giancarlo Stanton

Their season falling apart amid a truly nightmarish start to the second half, the New York Yankees needed someone to step up and stop the bleeding. But it hasn't been Aaron Judge who's put the offense on his back. Instead, it's been Giancarlo Stanton: The 35-year-old just clubbed his 11th homer in only 41 games in Monday night's win over the Minnesota Twins, the latest exploit in what's been a vintage run at the plate.

Stanton is putting up his best run since he took home MVP honors back in 2017, and it couldn't come at a better time. With New York's entire pitching staff on the verge of implosion, Judge working through an arm injury and Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells mired in brutal slumps, it's hard to imagine how much worse this recent skid could've been for the Yankees if they didn't have Stanton's bat propping them up.

But not everyone is thrilled about this current heater. Stanton is simply too scorching to take out of the lineup right now, for any reason. And with Judge limited to DH duties only for the time being, it's put New York's one-time top prospect on ice — with serious questions looming about his long-term future.

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Jasson Dominguez could be the odd man out if Giancarlo Stanton keeps this up

Tuesday night marked the third time in the last four games that Jasson Dominguez wasn't in the starting lineup. It's not hard to figure out why: With Stanton on fire and Judge occupying the DH spot, that only leaves two available outfield spots, and Dominguez's recent struggles at the plate (he's slashing .197/.269/.262 in his last 19 games) make him the obvious odd man out against Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham.

It's entirely possible that, with Judge hoping to return to the field in the near future, Dominguez will resume near-everyday duties in left field while Stanton shifts back to the DH role. (Although that raises its own questions, as Ben Rice needs to be in the lineup against every right-handed pitcher right now and Austin Wells' defense at catcher is still awfully valuable.) But even beyond this current crunch, there just might not be any room for the former top prospect in the Yankees' long-term plans.

New York made it clear how highly it thinks of the rising Spencer Jones, and the role he'll play in the team's future. If Jones is ready to contribute in 2026, that would leave Judge in right with a potential reunion with Bellinger as the team's starting left fielder. And if Stanton keeps on hitting like this even as he hits his late 30s, the Yankees will be caught between developing for the future and putting out its best nine hitters in the present.

Dominguez has shown flashes of being a rock-solid player this season; he's still a great athlete, and he still hits the ball awfully hard, even if he needs to work on pulling it in the air more consistently. But it just hasn't come together as yet, and there's a chance that it might not on the timeline New York needs. All of which could lead to some very interesting trade talks this winter.