The Yankees have considered promoting top outfield prospect

With the news that Harrison Bader is being placed on waivers, the Yankees are anticipating that he’ll be claimed prior to September 1st so he can be playoff-eligible for another team in need of outfield help. This opens up a spot in centerfield, one that the Yankees might be filling with their top prospect Jasson Dominguez.

In addition to internal discussions about bringing up top catching prospect Austin Wells when rosters expand Sept. 1, the Yankees have considered promoting outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez in 2023, with the talks reaching as high as owner Hal Steinbrenner, multiple sources say.
— Brendan Kuty ???? (@BrendanKutyNJ) August 29, 2023

According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, the Yankees have had internal conversations about promoting the 20-year-old outfielder who has torn up Double-A and Triple-A, with Hal Steinbrenner involved in those conversations.

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Jasson Dominguez has been remarkable for the Yankees’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in Somerset and Scranton respectively, with the 20-year-old switch-hitting toolshed hitting over .400 in the month of August and having a 121 wRC+ and 38 steals entering play tonight. He was incredible in his debut week with the Scranton RailRiders, likely getting buzz from the organization with his ridiculous 11-23 start where he drove in 10 RBIs in just six games at Triple-A.

Ranked as the Yankees’ #2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, he’s completely turned his season around after a poor start, as his wRC+ since the All-Star Break is a whopping 169 with a .436 OBP and just 17.6% K%. He’s handled his promotion to Triple-A well thus far, and the juiced balls in the International League could be the reason why Dominguez gets promoted sooner. With the crazy run environment down there, the Yankees may feel that he could face tougher competition at the Major League level and develop more there.

The Yankees could slot him into centerfield when Harrison Bader inevitably is claimed off of waivers in the next coming days, and they’ll continue a youth movement that thus far has involved Anthony Volpe, Everson Pereira, and Oswald Peraza, with Brendan Kuty also reporting that Austin Wells is on the way soon. It’s been a tough season for the Bronx Bombers, but the promotions of their prospects could give them a glimpse of a much more promising future and a new era of Yankee baseball.