The Yankees truly have something special brewing in Jasson Dominguez. The 20-year-old star prospect has been turning heads and clobbering baseballs this spring, already showcasing what made him such a special talent when he was signed back when he was just 16 years old. The current Yankee center fielder, and new fan-favorite, Harrison Bader, was raving about just how good a player he is.
“I mean, I get why they call him El Marciano,” Bader told The Athletic when speaking with Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s got serious tools. He’s just a fun player to watch. I see why everyone’s excited about him. I’m excited for him and his baseball journey. Anytime I get a chance to talk with him, whether it be baseball-related or not, is great because he’s going to be a name in this game for a long time. I’m getting a front-row seat at the very early stages of it. I’m excited to watch his growth.”
Harrison Bader via The Athletic
Bader hit the nail on the head, and being able to watch Jasson Dominguez work through the motions and kinks of being a minor leaguer itching for MLB playtime has been an absolute joy the last week or so. While a few other names have already been optioned back down to minor league camp, like Elijah Dunham and Spencer Jones, Dominguez is playing with a fluidity that we haven’t seen in a long time.
- Yankees’ super-utility man is seeing his numbers plummet back down to Earth
- Yankees’ $98 million slugger in the middle of another ice-cold stretch
- Yankees could see this interesting pitching prospect get an MLB promotion
Jasson Dominguez should climb the Yankees’ system quickly:
Though it’s still the very early stages of Dominguez’s development, the talent and tools are all there. He’s been able to clock exceptional exit velocities, work walks at a fantastic rate, and even threw in a golf swing-esque stroke to give the Yanks the lead during yesterday’s affair with the Braves. It seems likely that he’ll start the season in AA, as he only saw 5 games there last year prior to leading the charge in the championship game. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t get excited about what the future holds.
Dominguez is going to be a name stay in due time, and that time may be accelerated if he’s able to hit the cover off the baseball with Somerset and eventually Scranton. We saw what could be in store last year when the Braves called up Vaughn Grissom directly from AA after he lit it up. If Jasson Dominguez is able to do something similar to what Grissom did, who’s to say the Yankees don’t just bite the bullet and give the young phenom an opportunity later in the year?
Even if Dominguez is kept on the same track he’s on, the Yanks can still benefit from him getting more time to develop and work through the motions. He’s got an electric swing, incredibly quick hands, and a power-speed combination that scouts drool over. Still just 20 years old, there may not be much of a reason to toss him into the fire so soon. He’s got a very bright future, and I can see him becoming a household name sooner than later.
Dominguez is still on the spring squad with the big boys and may be staying longer than initially thought. Even with an incredibly small sample size this spring, consisting of just 12 ABs, he’s already making noise. The Martian has posted a 1.417 OPS, with a pair of HRs, and has swiped a bag as well. To say he’s a star already is incredibly far-fetched, but to say he’s a star just waiting to be born is simply poetic.