The path from top prospect to Yankees bust is a well-worn one, and according to a former player, the organization is forcing Jasson Dominguez down that same ‘soul-crushing’ road.

In his latest episode of the podcast, Life After The Show, Clint Frazier recalled something about his former franchise.

“I want to start it off with Jasson Dominguez: I do see some similarities between the way that Jasson’s career has gone and the way that mine finished up.”

“I think that when you say they should be in the minor leagues getting the everyday at-bats and just playing it, I think it applies to certain players,” he added.

“For Jasson Dominguez, I’m not a fan of doing that, right. When you get the option to the minors, especially when players internally believe they should be there, it is soul-crushing, guys. Sending him to the minor leagues is cruel at this point.”

Per Frazier, young players are always getting included in trade talks, and sometimes, not given a chance to prove themselves. He even mentioned that he had faced similar problems during his time with the New York Yankees.

Clint Frazier was the fifth overall pick in the 2013 amateur draft by Cleveland and was an expected top prospect when the Yanks acquired him in 2016, trading reliever Andrew Miller to the Indians. In his MLB debut in 2017, he recorded a .231 average, but the following season was wrecked.

The outfielder collided with an outfield wall at Bradenton, Florida, during a spring training game, sustaining a concussion that limited him to 41 plate appearances that season. Frazier even stated that he was “fighting for my life” with health issues. But all of it started affecting his performance.

Even though he hit .267 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 2019, there were defensive struggles. It was especially evident against the Boston Red Sox that June when he misplayed balls off the bat of Eduardo Núñez, Andrew Benintendi and Michael Chavis.

However, in 2021, when he was DFA’d in November, his defense was at an improved level. He was not playing after June 30 because of what New York described as vertigo-like symptoms. They released him just four days after designating him for assignment. But Frazier’s hopeful in October that year.

“I’d love to have the opportunity to talk about this situation publicly and probably plan to do so soon,” he posted on Twitter (Now, X).

Yet, he was released, and that bitterness never truly went away.

Back in 2025, Erik Kartz brought up the question to Clint Frazier if he thought the Yankees were “a little too analytical” for him.

“I remember being told by a specific person in the analytics departement that they didn’t believe in players getting hot. And that was all analytically driven. That was their way of saying, for instance, I could be 55 for 55 and they would be ‘he’s not hot. He’s going to cool down.’ In my mind, but that’s not using your eyes. This guy’s on a scorcher right now, and you gotta run with that sometimes. Yeah, I do feel like they hired a few to many rocket scientists to try to make the lineup.”

And now, Frazier feels the same is happening with Dominguez.

He acknowledged that Jasson Dominguez has a lot of raw talent, and that the criticism he faces is unwarranted, as he is just 23, and the sample size to judge him is not big enough

Domínguez is known for easy bat speed and immense strength from both sides of the plate, with exit velocities often exceeding 105-110 mph. Just this February, in his first Spring Training game against the Minnesota Twins, ‘The Martian’ hit his first homer with an exit velocity of 110.9 mph.

Yet, reports now suggest that Dominguez might start the regular season in Triple-A, and Frazier clearly align with this idea. He is questioning Aaron Boone and the Yankees’ management about this move.

In spring games, Dominguez has hit .333 with 3 homers, 9 RBIs, and 1.010 OPS. Those 9 RBIs lead the Yankees camp, while his .667 slugging shows serious power. He even hit a bomb against Justin Verlander.

Frazier thinks that pushing Jasson Dominguez to the minors might have more negative impact than positive. He questioned whether the Yankees should be ignoring this kind of production, even though it is just spring.

During the 123 games he played in 2025, Jasson Dominguez had an average of .257 with a .719 OPS. But with the Yankees adding Randal Grichuk, things have become very, very difficult for Dominguez.

The Yankees outfield already has Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and now, with Grichuk, the chances of Dominguez getting significant playtime are doubtful.

Why Randal Grichuk will take the spot over Jasson Dominguez in the Yankees lineup

Jasson Dominguez does make a case for his spot, but there is one important aspect that keeps Grichuk on the upside.

Randal Grichuk joined the Yankees camp late after signing a minor league deal on February 25. His delayed arrival cost him valuable preparation days while most teammates had already played multiple spring games.

He debuted on March 10 and collected only 8 spring at-bats until now. But manager Aaron Boone said the team is more focused on his mechanics and not the results.

This evaluation makes sense because of the numbers Grichuk has against left-handed pitchers.

Over the last four seasons, he posted a .293 average, .342 OBP, and .534 slugging against lefties. His .876 OPS against lefties is high when compared to his .668 against righties.

He is among the 8 hitters with an average above .290 and a .525 slugging, including batters like Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts. With these numbers, his argument for a spot becomes stronger.

Those splits matter because the Yankees’ lineup already leans heavily toward left-handed hitters. Outfield starters include Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham alongside Judge in right field.

Grisham struggled against lefties in 2025 with a .182 average and .303 OPS. That opens a clear lane for Grichuk to handle certain matchups. Boone could rest Grisham occasionally while Bellinger shifts center and Grichuk covers a corner spot.