Why Would Any Young Player Want To Play For The Yanks Under Boone's Management?

If there’s one thing Aaron Boone is consistent at, it’s getting things wrong—especially when it comes to how he handles the Yankees’ young talent. His decision-making continues to baffle even the most optimistic Yankees fans, and the latest chapter in his saga of dysfunction is centered around Jasson Dominguez, and what happened earlier this week.  Dominguez is a promising talent who’s being squandered by a manager who seems more interested in protecting his “golden boys” than fielding the best team.

Let’s be honest: Boone plays favorites. This is a fact. Just watch the season. Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells are treated like royalty no matter how bad they’re slumping, while players like Dominguez and Oswald Peraza get jerked around with no rhythm or plan. Volpe’s batting average has been hovering in the low .200s for far too long, yet Boone treats him like Derek Jeter in his prime—starting him every day, batting him high in the lineup, and shielding him from criticism. Wells? Another subpar bat getting the star treatment, despite producing next to nothing.

But when it comes to Peraza or Dominguez, it’s a different story. Peraza, arguably a better defensive shortstop than Volpe, can’t catch a break. And Dominguez, who should be developing into a core piece of the Yankees’ future, is getting benched at the exact wrong times.

Take Monday’s game against the Padres. A right-handed pitcher on the mound? Great! That should be Dominguez’s moment—he’s hitting over .300 against righties this season. But Boone, in all his wisdom, decides to sit him. Why? Nobody knows. It’s not like anyone else in the outfield is tearing it up. After a Sunday lineup so embarrassing it should’ve come with a refund for ticket holders, Boone followed it up by benching Dominguez for no apparent reason.

Of course, when the Yankees blew the game and needed someone to bail them out in the ninth inning, they turned to—you guessed it—Dominguez, cold off the bench in the pouring rain. He struck out. What a shocker. That’s not development; that’s sabotage.

Then Tuesday rolls around, and suddenly Boone decides Dominguez is worthy of batting cleanup. Cleanup! Against Michael King, one of the best pitchers in the league this season. So, let’s get this straight: He’s not good enough to start against inferior right-handers, but he’s your No. 4 hitter against a guy with a 2.07 ERA? That’s not strategy—that’s chaos.

And it gets worse. On Tuesday, Dominguez is the DH. Why? If he’s healthy, he should be playing the outfield. You don’t improve defensively by watching from the dugout. Whether the Yankees view him as a franchise cornerstone or trade bait, getting him real outfield reps should be a priority. But again, Boone can’t seem to grasp that concept.

Meanwhile, Volpe continues to start every single game. Since making his debut, he’s missed a grand total of six games. Dominguez has been benched for the 17 time this season—and we’re only 35 games in. The favoritism is obvious. Boone isn’t managing a team; he’s coddling his pets. If you’re not one of his guys, you’re out of luck.

The most ridiculous part? Boone and the front office keep pretending Dominguez can’t hit right-handed pitching. But the stats don’t lie. Dominguez is thriving as a lefty bat against righties: he’s slashing .315/.383/.500 with two home runs. Against lefties, as a right-handed hitter, he’s been dreadful—just 3-for-35 with a .171 slugging percentage. So why is Boone benching him against righties and running him out there to fail against lefties? Either Boone is ignoring the numbers, or he has no clue how to read them.

It’s this exact kind of incompetence that pushes young talent out of New York. Why would any top prospect want to come up through this system when the moment they arrive, they’re either buried on the bench or thrown into impossible situations?

If Boone wanted to protect Dominguez and help him grow, he’d play him against right-handed pitching and keep him in the outfield to sharpen his glove. Instead, we get this nonsensical mix of overexposure in the wrong spots and vanishing acts when it counts.

And don’t even start with the “he’s not ready” excuse. Boone has been wrong more times than we can count. He’s been wrong about lineup construction, bullpen management, in-game decisions, and player usage. This is just another log on the fire of poor judgment.

The Yankees, regardless of their record, have deep flaws. And those flaws begin with their manager. Boone’s handling of Dominguez is just one example of a bigger problem—a team that can’t get out of its own way because the guy steering the ship has no map. 

The players—and the fans—deserve so much better.

#FIREBOONE