The Yankees Youth Movement Powers Their Success

With a resounding 10-2 win over the Athletics last night, the New York Yankees improved to 22-16. Their rookies and young players paved the way for their victory, and they deserve a lot of the credit for the team’s position atop the American League East standings.

Jasson Domínguez

The star of the show was rookie left fielder Jasson Domínguez, who belted three home runs. At 22 years and 91 days old, he became the youngest player in franchise history to accomplish that feat—and whenever someone breaks a Yankees home run record of any kind, it’s quite an accomplishment. His third blast was a grand slam, and he finished the evening with seven RBI.

Before his breakout game, his power had been dormant this season, and he raised his home run total to five. He’s batting .250/.339/.463 with a 127 OPS+, indicating his overall offensive production has been 27% above the league average.

Domínguez’s development has been a wild ride leading up to his capstone moment. When he first signed as an amateur at age 16, his impressive physique and skills set garnered unrealistic comparisons to Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle. Even his baseball cards sold for absurd amounts at auction. He debuted in September 2022 and blasted four home runs in eight games, but tore his UCL and required Tommy John surgery that delayed his development.

When he reemerged late last year, he hit only .179 and struggled to adjust to left field from his natural position in center. His defensive difficulties continued to be a storyline this spring, as have been his challenges batting right-handed (he’s a switch-hitter). His three-homer game had to feel like a moment of arrival, especially since his second bomb came batting from the right side.

Will Warren

Domínguez wasn’t the only Yankees rookie with a signature game in Sacramento yesterday. Starting pitcher Will Warren threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. It was the best outing of his career so far, as he needed only 87 pitches to set personal highs for innings pitched and batters faced in a game.

The Yankees originally drafted Warren as an eighth-round pick in 2021 out of Southeastern Louisiana University. He quickly outpitched his draft status with two excellent minor-league seasons in 2022 and 2023. His development backslid in Triple-A in 2024 when he recorded a 5.91 ERA, and in a six-game sample in the Majors, he allowed 27 runs in 22 2/3 innings.

He defaulted into a rotation spot with the Yankees to begin the 2025 campaign due to injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt, but has earned the right to stay there. Through eight starts, he has a 4.75 ERA, but a much more impressive 3.61 FIP. His 41 strikeouts lead all MLB rookies and he has only surrendered four home runs in 36 innings.

Sophomore Yankees

Designated hitter Ben Rice isn’t technically a rookie anymore after he played 50 games last season, but he has unexpectedly emerged as one of the best hitters on the team. He reached base three times yesterday on a single, a double, and a hit-by-pitch, and he even played catcher in the ninth inning. His performance raised his batting line to .261/.358/.555 with a 157 OPS+.

The Yankees had two Rookie of the Year finalists in 2024, but neither of them played yesterday. Gil, who won the award, is still hurt, and catcher Austin Wells had the day off. Wells only has a .264 on-base percentage, but he has seven home runs and is a strong defender behind the plate.

Aaron Judge has been the best player in MLB this season and Max Fried has been the league’s best pitcher, but the Yankees wouldn’t be where they are without Dominguez, Warren, Rice, and their youth movement.