About Spring Training: Mid-Season Form
- Tim Kabel
- Feb 22
- 4 min read
About Spring Training: Mid-Season Form
By Time Kabel
February 22, 2026
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The Yankees played their first Spring Training game of 2026 at George M Steinbrenner Field yesterday. The Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 20-3. In the game, the Yankees started an outfield of Aaron Judge in rightfield, Spencer Jones in center, and Jasson Dominguez in leftfield. The Yankees plan to play Aaron Judge frequently during the first several games of Spring Training because he will be leaving to play in the World Baseball Classic in March.
Dominguez was batting leadoff, which many people feel would be the best place for him. Dominguez came up three times, walking the first time, doubling the second time, and then hitting a sacrifice fly in his final plate appearance. He scored twice and drove in one run. More on Dominguez later.
Aaron Judge batted second and he was one of two Yankees who was in mid-season form yesterday. In three at bats, he hit two home runs and drove in four runs. Hand him the 2026 MVP today and avoid the rush.
Spencer Jones had three at bats and struck out twice. Apparently, he has tweaked his swing and it's now using a stance similar to that of Shohei Ohtani. In the second inning, Jones hit a home run that still has not come to earth. It was completely out of the stadium.
Other noteworthy items were Paul Goldschmidt having two hits and driving in two runs. The hits were singles, but he appears to be ready. Also of note, Roderick Arias who was playing third base went 2-3 with 4 RBI and a home run. Arias has struggled to even approach the potential that the Yankees saw in him when they signed him as an International Free Agent a few years ago. Arias is still only 21 years old and maybe this will be the year he puts everything together. Maybe it won't be. We will see.
Carlos Lagrange started and went 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. He had two strikeouts and two walks. He looked impressive in his Spring Training debut. Clearly, he has a great deal of potential. Perhaps he will be better suited to being a relief pitcher but that will be determined. David Bednar and Fernando Cruz each pitched one hitless inning of relief as well.
I wrote above that Aaron Judge was one of two Yankees to be in mid-season form. Can you guess who the other one was? Let me give you a hint. It has been stated that Jasson Dominguez needs to work on his outfield defense and his right-handed hitting. Those are fair statements. During the second inning, Dominguez made a fine running catch on a ball hit by Jace Jung. That was a positive sign.
In the fifth inning, the Tigers brought in Drew Sommers to pitch. He is a left-handed pitcher. Dominguez was due to come up that inning but Aaron Boone pinch hit George Lombard, Junior for him. I understand that they are trying not to give players too many at bats in the first few games. However, since one of the main issues for Dominguez to work on is right-handed hitting, it would have made sense to allow him to hit off the left-handed pitcher and then replace him. That would have been logical. It would have fit in the overall scheme of what the Yankees are trying to do or at least what they say they are trying to do.
So, the second Yankee who was in mid-season form was of course Aaron Boone. Time and time again, he makes moves that fly in the face of logic, common sense, and what is reportedly the Yankees’ plan. Remember when he kept putting Isiah Kiner-Falefa out in the playoffs despite his sloppy defense until it finally reached a point where he had to replace him? Remember last season when he played Jazz Chisholm at third base to accommodate DJ LeMahieu and his anemic batting average because LeMahieu couldn't play third base.
It is highly likely that Jasson Dominguez will start the season in the minor leagues. However, it is also highly likely that at some point, he will be in the Major Leagues. Injuries and ineffectiveness happen. Something is very likely to occur that will require Dominguez to come up. One at bat in Spring Training isn't going to make a world of difference. However, when you have specifically made it clear that the player needs to work on hitting against left-handed pitchers why take him out when there is an opportunity for him to do so? It would have been a measuring point and a way to see how Dominguez looks now. It would have made sense. We have to realize that making sense and Aaron Boone are rarely in the same neighborhood. Aaron Boone lives at the corner of incompetence and indecisiveness. He will not change and as we saw yesterday even in the first game or two of Spring Training, Boone is in mid-season form.
it was utterly inconsiderate and completely in character for Yankee teams to score 20 runs in yesterday's exhibition.
they do these things deliberately
in the previous game the Yankees scored no runs at all -----and this failure to score----- gave proof positive to those who claim that the Yankee offense stinks.
and then there was yesterday and, confound it, a 20-run outburst that is sure to be seized upon by those Panglossian dogs who profess that the Yankee offense is not bad at all.
but the wise are not bedazzled.
the Yankees may have scored a great many runs in one of two games, but New York is a miserable 0-for-1 in close games.
When I read the headline, my first thought was, "who got hurt?"
THE Yankees would probably have had at least one chanpionship in the past few years if not for Boone. The owner and Cashman are committed to him. Good chance we never see a chanp\ionship if Boone continues as manager. Fast forwad 3 years from now. J Dom is an all star for anorher team.