Top Outfield Prospect Could Have a Role with the Yankees Next Season
With the New York Yankees’ season at a close, the organization and fans alike are now looking on to the 2026 season. But before that happens, the Yankees will face a great deal of questions during the offseason. Among them are how to configure the infield (particularly at shortstop), who will make up the bullpen, and what the outfield will look like. That last question is perhaps the most unclear; with Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham both facing free agency, captain Aaron Judge is the only outfielder on the current roster who will 100% be returning next season.
Spencer Jones Could Break In with the Yankees Next Season
The Fourth Outfielder
There are no guarantees when it comes to the offseason, but it’s safe to say that the Yankees will almost certainly try to bring back either Grisham or Bellinger. During Tuesday’s press conference at Yankee Stadium, manager Aaron Boone said that he expects Jasson Domínguez to see regular playing time next season, which insinuates that they will only try to bring back one of their two free-agent outfielders, not both.
Jasson Domínguez is expected to play regularly next season, Aaron Boone said. He may play in winter ball. They envision him in left field, depending on how the offseason goes.
The Yankees should know how important it is to have a solid fourth outfielder on the bench; Domínguez was actually the starting left fielder for much of the first month of 2025, with Grisham starting off the season as the “fourth outfielder”. Of course, he eventually earned an everyday role, but will the Yankees be able to find a backup outfielder for next season that could work his way into the starting lineup? Or, even better, they could stumble upon another star outfielder.
Aaron Judge 2.0
Trivial as the comparisons of being the next Aaron Judge are, top prospect Spencer Jones has still given the Yankees and their fans much to be excited about. New York’s number four overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, slashed .274/.342/.594 with 19 home runs and 48 RBI after playing his first game with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre on June 27. Standing at 6’7″ and weighing 240 pounds, it’s no wonder that Jones drew a ton of comparisons to the two-time American League MVP.
Not everything is going great for Jones, though. The 24-year-old also struck out 179 times across Double-A and Triple-A last season, walking 58 times in 506 plate appearances. This is a little concerning, even with the solid numbers he put up otherwise. Still, there were whispers that Jones could potentially get the call to the big leagues as early as next spring.
Cash-Confirmed
General manager Brian Cashman did nothing to abate these whispers during Tuesday’s press conference, when he stated that Jones has certainly put himself “in the conversation” to be in the starting lineup come 2026.
Spencer Jones has put himself “in the conversation” to be an everyday Major Leaguer in 2026, Brian Cashman said.
With both Jones and Domínguez having the opportunity to seize a starting spot in the outfield for 2026, this could mean that New York plans to use the two of them in place of Grisham and Bellinger. What’s more likely is that the Yankees re-sign one of them and have their two young outfielders battle it out for the third spot (though, at this point, Domínguez would probably win that battle).
No matter what happens in the offseason or in the spring, one thing is certain: they definitely have big plans for their slugger down in Triple-A. He may not be ready for MLB just yet, but the potential is clearly there. Along with Ben Rice, Cam Schlittler, and Will Warren, the Yankees could finally have a talented young core that they can build the rest of their roster around.
Vikings QB Carson Wentz Primed for ‘Revenge Game’ Against Eagles in Week 7
There is one specific storyline that’s going to come up whenever any NFL team faces one of its old starting quarterbacks. One part of that formula is we can usually ratchet up that attention the higher the draft pick.
While some of that luster may have been lost for a variety of reasons, when the Minnesota Vikings host the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, they’ll do so with Carson Wentz starting at quarterback in place of injured 2024 first round pick J.J. McCarthy.
That’s notable because Wentz, once upon a time, was the player the Eagles pinned all of their franchise hopes and dreams on.
To recap: Philadelphia drafted Wentz No. 2 overall out of North Dakota State in the 2016 NFL draft, watched him earn NFL All-Pro honors and win a Super Bowl in his second season and signed him to a 4-year, $128 million contract extension before the 2019 season.
To say Wentz doesn’t have extra motivation against the team he used to play for and the player who ultimately took his spot in quarterback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts would be to simply deny the human condition.
No matter what anyone on either side might say, it matters.
There was some speculation McCarthy might return for the Vikings after missing the last 4 games due to an ankle injury until head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Wentz would make his fourth consecutive start.
“The Carson Wentz revenge game is officially on,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo wrote on his official X account on October 17. “Kevin O’Connell announces Wentz will start for the Vikings against the Eagles.”
‘Revenge’ Narrative Not Really What It Seems
This isn’t the first time Wentz has faced his old team. In his only other time facing the Eagles, Wentz started for the Washington Commanders in a 24-8 loss in 2022 in which he was largely ineffective, going 25-of-43 passing for 211 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
No matter how media types might want to spin it, sometimes a “revenge” narrative might not always be what it seems — something Eagles Pin Pull podcast host Shane Haff astutely pointed out is the case with Wentz.
“Hard to call it a revenge game when the team benched you while you were playing terribly and then acquiesced to your trade request in the offseason, trading you to the coach you wanted to play for,” Haff wrote on his official X account on October 17. “The Eagles didn’t do wrong by Carson Wentz. Every time a player plays a former team we don’t have to call it a ‘revenge’ game.”
Wentz Made NFL History in 2025
Wentz made NFL history when he started for the Vikings in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, becoming the first quarterback to start for 6 different teams in 6 consecutive seasons.
Wentz started 12 games for the Eagles in 2020, 17 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, 7 games for the Commanders in 2022, 1 game for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and 1 game for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
“If he starts for the Vikings this weekend, Carson Wentz would become the first quarterback in NFL history to start at least one game for six different teams in six consecutive seasons,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on his official X account on September 15.
