While it is certainly a long shot for the Yankees to make a significant change at the left field position, there’s a strong argument to make that top OF prospect Jasson Dominguez couldn’t be any worse than Aaron Hicks.
Hicks is coming off consecutive years of downplay and performance, hitting a measly .216 with a .330 OBP, eight homers, and 40 RBIs last season. Even if he’s managed to resurrect his confidence and tweak his fundamentals slightly, there’s not much of a sample size to convince the fan base of his return to form.
- Yankees need more from newly acquired bullpen arm
- Yankees are getting incredible value from veteran catcher
- Yankees’ closer has quietly been a huge part of the team’s hot start
The Yankees could push Jasson Dominguez along a bit faster:
With that being said, should the Yankees consider promoting Dominguez during the 2023 season to really shake things up?
Across four spring training at-bats, Dominguez has already tallied two hits, three runs, a homer and an RBI. At just 20 years old, Dominguez is coming off a 2022 campaign where he elevated all the way from Low-A to Double-A ball with Somerset. He only enjoyed five games in Somerset, so most have him penciled in as a starter there to open the year.
However, he could elevate to Triple-A Scranton rather quickly, pushing his way along and convincing the Yankees that he’s ready to take on Major League Baseball.
“You can tell the guy has a real understanding and ease of the strike zone,” manager Aaron Boone said. “There’s no panic up there. Good to see him really get into one.”
Via The Atheltic.
With A+ Hudson Valley last year, Dominguez hit .306 with a .397 OBP, six homers, and 22 RBIs, paired with 17 stolen bases. Everything about him screams maturity and athleticism, given he’s been dubbed “The Martian.”
Again, it’s extremely unlikely that the Yankees will promote Dominguez during the 2023 season, but why shouldn’t they consider it given his quality and their obvious lack of support in left field? He still projects to have a realistic chance to win a starting job in 2024, so why not push up the timeline if he’s ready?