Inside The Pinstripes

Pair of Spring Training Stars Officially Make Yankees Opening Day Roster

The New York Yankees will open the season with two of their best young players from spring training.

Tyler Maher

Mar 19, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; New York Yankees first base Ben Rice (93) is congratulated by outfielder Jasson Dominguez (24) after he hit a home run.
Mar 19, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; New York Yankees first base Ben Rice (93) is congratulated by outfielder Jasson Dominguez (24) after he hit a home run. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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With all the injuries they've endured lately, the New York Yankees are counting on their young talent to step up this year.

That will start with Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez, both of whom have officially made the Yankees' Opening Day roster. Manager Aaron Boone informed them of the decision on Tuesday, two days before New York's Opening Day matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium.

The news doesn't come as a surprise for either player, both of whom dominated spring training.

After struggling as a rookie last year, Rice added 10-15 pounds of muscle in the offseason to improve his power stroke. The strategy paid off, as he slashed .242/.319/.516 with five home runs and 10 RBI in 20 games.

The 26-year-old will try to improve on a disappointing debut season. In 50 games last year, Rice batted just .171/.264/.349 (72 OPS+) with seven homers, 23 RBI and -0.4 WAR.

Meanwhile, Dominguez is the Yankees' top prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He appeared in just 26 MLB games in 2023 and 2024 combined, hitting .207/.310/.437 with six homers, six steals and 11 RBI in 100 plate appearances.

The 22-year-old outfielder is set for an expanded role in New York's outfield this year following Juan Soto's departure and Giancarlo Stanton's injury. He also made a strong impression during spring training, batting .258/.292/.452 with three homers, 12 RBI and five steals in 20 games.

The defending AL champs hope both can step up and be everyday contributors in 2025. Neither has played a full season yet, so this will be their chance to prove they belong in the Major Leagues and are worth building around.

Dominguez has AL Rookie of the Year potential, while Rice suddenly looks capable of popping 20-30 homers. Given their upside, they both deserved to make the team.

Now it's on them to prove they deserve to stay.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Yankees On SI. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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