On Sept. 1, 2023, Anthony Volpe had seemingly shaken off a shaky opening couple of weeks to his major league career and was in the midst of a solid rookie season.

Jasson Domínguez, the Yankees’ top prospect once Volpe made the Opening Day roster, homered off Justin Verlander in his MLB debut in a win that night in Houston.

The Yankees, who would go on to miss the playoffs for the first time in seven years — mostly because of Aaron Judge’s toe injury that derailed their season — still had cause for optimism with their two rising stars.

Less than three years later, both players are back in the minors, essentially replaced by the organization’s two top prospects heading into this season: George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones.