With the offseason in full swing, the only prospects currently playing baseball are doing so outside the mainland U.S. where the weather is warm. 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. Only a couple of them have played since our last update. Here’s how the Yankees’ Winter Ball participants are performing thus far:
Dominican Winter League:
Jasson Domínguez, J.C. Escarra
Both Yankee participants in the Dominican Winter League are fighting for their futures in the Bronx. Domínguez showed flashes of potential stardom during the 2025 season, but ultimately failed to take the reins in his first extended showing against big-league pitching like some other top prospects have done in the past few seasons. Domínguez has played five more games since our last update, and his production hasn’t improved much with a .184/.304/.263 slash line. Escarra has not played in any games since the last update, and is still hitting .273/.408/.436 with a home run, two doubles, two triples, and an 11-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. The lack of any major trades or free agent signing thus far indicates that Domínguez is in line for a big role in 2026, but his name has also been mentioned in trade rumors. If he wants to earn a full-time starting role moving forward he’ll need to produce much more than he has in this small sample. Escarra has a tougher path to at-bats at the highest level with Austin Wells and Ben Rice ahead of him on the depth chart, but the wear-and-tear a full season behind the plate has on players could mean a depth role at some point next year.
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. Vivas has not played in any games since our last update, and 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 features high contact rates but minimal power. Vivas hit .161 in 56 at-bats with the big-league club in 2025, and should remain a depth piece. 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.
Puerto Rican Winter League: Wilson Rodriguez
Wilson Rodriguez was drafted in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB draft and has seen his stock slowly rise since his professional debut. He impressed in his first sample of stateside competition this past season with the Low-A Tampa Tarpons. He has produced just a minimal sample this Winter with one hit in three at-bats and a stolen base, and has not played any games in the past few weeks. 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
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 is currently playing with the Perth Heat in Australia, and has played in 18 thus far during Winter ball. He’s produced nicely, with a .319/.360/.522 line, three home runs, 15 RBI, and two steals. Cobb posted a similar line in Tampa this season, but at 24 years old he’ll have to produce at a higher level before he can be considered a legitimate option. Cobb is still looking to put himself on the radar moving forward and stick around in professional baseball.
