Why the Yankees' season may hinge on one prospect

Last season, New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone experimented with the lead leadoff spot in the batting order several times. The job fell from Gleyber Torres to Anthony Volpe, then to Alex Verdugo, and eventually went back to Torres. But regardless who was leading off, the lineup was in great shape with Juan Soto hitting ahead of Aaron Judge.

Now, Soto, Torres and Verdugo are gone. Judge will likely retake his old spot in the Yankee lineup hitting second. But with Soto gone, who can help Judge maintain his elite run production?

In 2024, the Yankees scored a total of 815 runs, an AL leading 128 of which were scored by Juan Soto with help from Judge who led the MLB with 144 RBIs. The Yankees added Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger who will undoubtedly make the lineup deeper than it was last season, but there is no guarantee this new combination will make up for the loss of Soto’s elite production at the plate. This makes the leadoff role the second most important spot in the lineup. The Yankees can’t afford to waste it while Judge along with their two new sluggers lurk behind it. Of the two remaining players that consistently hit leadoff for the Yankees before, neither seem like a perfect fit.

Anthony Volpe holds promise, but hasn’t yet proven he can hold the job. DJ LeMahieu, who once performed as the perfect table-setter ahead of Judge, is now infirm and supposedly past his prime. This has led Aaron Boone to bequeath the role to an unproven prospect.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

Yankees leadoff spot is the Martian’s to lose

Without a clear viable leadoff option on the Yankee roster, Aaron Boone has indicated the spot will go to top prospect Jasson Dominguez. Dominguez, who has the potential top be a five-tool player, has hit for on-base percentages of .375+ for the past three minor league seasons. However, his recent results and both of his short major league stints were hampered by injuries. The Martian hit for an average of .179 with two home runs in 56 major-league at-bats in 2024.

However, his recent injury-hampered numbers shouldn’t reflect his massive potential. Dominguez will likely benefit the lineup during his first full year, but his swift promotion to leadoff hitter is questionable. It will be his responsibility to, at minimal, get on base before Judge and the vast assortment of Yankee sluggers come to the plate. As both LeMahieu and Soto have demonstrated, the job of table-setter may be the key to the Yankees’ success. Every Yankee fan remembers the 2023 season, when their favorite team missed the postseason altogether placing fourth in the division. Is Dominguez ready to take the mantle of table-setter?

To try get the ball rolling, the Yankees have already made a bit of a strategic move. Dominguez’s assigned locker during Spring Training is located next to Judge’s. This will ensure their paths frequently cross allowing the best slugger in the game as many chances as possible to offer hitting tips to their rising star.

Whether or not Boone’s plan can come together in a way that leads the team back to the World Series is something we won’t know until the season is well underway. But for now, it seems the Yankees’ chances of doing that may be riding on an unproven prospect. No pressure.