Now that the Arizona Fall League has reached its conclusion, the only MLB prospects currently playing baseball are Winter Ball participants in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and
Australia. The Yankees currently have five players participating in Winter Ball, including a few who spent time with the big-league club in 2025 and at least one who should compete for a starting job next season. Here’s how they’re performing thus far:
Dominican Winter League: Jasson Domínguez, J.C. Escarra
The first two participants are players that Yankees fans have come to be very familiar with, Jasson Domínguez and J.C. Escarra. Dominguez was a top prospect in baseball for years but has yet to earn a full-time outfield job in the Bronx due to injuries and stiff competition, and Escarra played 40 games with the Yankees in 2025 primarily in the backup catcher role. The return of Trent Grisham and the emergence of Ben Rice as a defensive option behind the plate will put roadblocks in front of both players as they try to earn playing time, but Domínguez especially should be firmly on the radar for a starting role in 2026. Domínguez has been a limited participant in Winter Ball, only playing six games and coming to the plate 27 times. He’s slashing just .182/.296/.273 with two doubles and two singles, which isn’t anything to be excited about but is also too small a sample to warrant any panic. Escarra has been a more active participant with 71 plate appearances in 17 games, and he’s posting a .273/.408/.436 line with a home run, two doubles, and two triples. He also has an 11-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Escarra is proving his worth as a big-league hitter, but given the Yankees’ depth and development history at his position he could end up being the next catcher traded away.
Venezuelan Winter League: Jorbit Vivas
The other Winter Ball participant who saw time in the Bronx this past season is Jorbit Vivas down in Venezuela. Since being acquired in a trade with the Dodgers in December of 2023, Vivas has displayed excellent contact traits in Triple-A but struggled in his 29 games with the big-league club this season. He could be on the radar for a bench role in 2026, but it’s more likely that he spends most of his time down in Scranton. Vivas has played just seven games this Winter, going 4-for-15 with a double and a stolen base. This small sample lines up closely with his larger production, which will likely never feature more than minimal power. He should remain a depth piece.
Puerto Rican Winter League: Wilson Rodriguez
Wilson Rodriguez was drafted in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB draft and impressed in his first sample of stateside competition this past season with the Low-A Tampa Tarpons. He has produced a minimal sample this Winter with one hit in three at-bats and a stolen base. Rodriguez popped up on the Yankees’ Top 30 Prospects list from MLB Pipeline after the trade deadline (#22 overall) and will look to continue his gradual ascent in 2026.
Australian Baseball League: Owen Cobb
The 24-year-old Cobb has had a tumultuous journey in professional baseball, being selected at the end of the 2019 MLB draft and acquired by the Yankees in 2024 as a free agent. He posted a 133 wRC+ in 40 games with the Tarpons, but struggled in a small sample after being promoted to Hudson Valley. He is currently playing with the Perth Heat in Australia, where he is 5-for-22 in six games with a double and a triple. Cobb is looking to put himself on the radar moving forward and stick around in professional baseball.
