The New York Yankees’ defensive struggles came back to haunt them at the most inopportune moment—who could forget World Series Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where they blew a 5-0 lead with two outs, largely due to a mix of mental and physical errors? However, the Yankees are aiming for a stronger defense in 2025, with Paul Goldschmidt shifting to third base and Cody Bellinger taking over in center field.
The hope is that their new additions, combined with a full season of Jazz Chisholm, Anthony Volpe, and Oswald Peraza, will stabilize the infield. Third base is still up for grabs, with DJ LeMahieu potentially earning the starting role, but either him or Peraza should provide some steadiness at the position. The outfield, especially the corner spots, remains a bit of a question mark.
While Bellinger is a solid center fielder and Aaron Judge returning to right field is a plus for the Yankees, it was left fielder Jasson Dominguez who made the first spring error at Steinbrenner Field. Dominguez lost a ball in the sun, a problem that could reappear during the summer months of the regular season. To add to the frustration, the Yankees lost the game 4-0 to the Detroit Tigers.
- Jasson Dominguez
Despite the error, Dominguez is expected to make a significant impact on the lineup over the course of the season, and there’s even been talk of him potentially leading off. On Sunday, as part of an emphasis on infield defense, Chisholm was given that honor, but Dominguez is eager for his next chance.
“He’s one of the guys I’m considering for it,” manager Aaron Boone said about Dominguez. “I’ll play around with some things here as we go, but I at least think that’s a possibility.”
One common critique of Boone is that he overthinks things. Much like a fantasy football manager making last-minute changes, Boone sometimes struggles to avoid overcomplicating decisions. With so many potential leadoff hitters and lineup combinations, the Yankees would be favorites against most of the American League—Boone’s challenge is knowing when to simplify.
While it’s just spring training, Yankees fans got another reminder of why extending Boone could come with some risk.
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