The New York Yankees are going to have to make a very tough decision soon between one of the glue players on their current team and their top prospect.
Heading into the MLB games today, the Yankees have a three-game lead in the American League East and currently own the best record in baseball. It has been a very impressive start for a roster that is not 100% healthy and is only now starting to show the true heights of their powers.
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While players like Luis Gil, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge will get a lot of credit for their success, offseason addition Alex Verdugo has played a notable role on the team. He is off to the best start of his career at the plate while delivering strong defense in left field. Along with bringing a fun but gutsy attitude to the locker room. However, his role could soon be diminished.
The reason the organization brought Verdugo in originally was as a placeholder for talented prospect Jasson Dominguez. The No. 1 player in their minor league system showed his potential late in the 2023 season before Tommy John surgery ended his year and left a hole in the outfield for the first few months of the season. Well, “The Martian” is close to returning and absolutely destroying minor-league pitchers right now.
- Jasson Dominguez stats (2024): .333 AVG, .404 OBP, .588 SLG, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 10 R
Heading into the week, he has a slash-line of .333 (AVG)/.404/(OBP)/.588 (SLG), with four home runs, 10 runs batted in, and 10 runs scored in 14 rehab games in Single and Double-A. He has a seven-game hit streak, and those four homers have come in his last six games.
It is putting the Yankees in a difficult position. If he is healthy and can throw from the outfield the team has the potential to have the best outfield in the sport and it would strengthen their chances of bringing a 28th title to the Bronx in October.
However, Verdugo has been a key part of the locker room and one has to wonder how a demotion would affect the strong chemistry the team has developed this season. The Yankees have a wealth of riches right now and there are far worse positions to be in than this.
