If any single player has impressed the New York Yankees up to this point, it is Jasson Dominguez, one of their top young prospects. Dominguez has barely played any games at the Double-A level with Somerset, experiencing just five last year after being elevated from Hudson Valley. He hit .105 with a .227 OBP across 22 at-bats with Somerset, but the way he’s played this spring has justified his readiness for the MLB at some point during the 2023 season.
Against Major League talent and Triple-A level pitchers, Dominguez has completely feasted this spring, recording eight hits, eight runs, four homers, nine RBIs, and a stolen base across 19 at-bats. He’s hitting .421 with a .500 OBP and 1.553 OPS.
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Dominguez isn’t focused on climbing the farm system but rather on displaying his talents, showcasing his maturity ahead of the regular season.
“It’s not something on my mind, I’ve got to focus on the present,” Dominguez said. “That’s not something I’m paying close attention to or thinking about.”
Management knows exactly what they have in the young phenom. At 20 years old, Jasson has barely played against higher levels of talent, but the way he’s swinging the bat and the patience he showed have convinced the coaching staff he’s further along than they initially thought.
“He continues to just show why we invested so heavily in him, which is great. He’s an exciting talent. And he’s determined and he’s hungry. So he’s got all the attributes you need,” Brian Cashman said. “He’s got the physical ability matching the competitive fire and the will to succeed. The sky’s the limit.”
The Yankees are seeing the best version of Jasson Dominguez:
Dominguez has all the tools to be a tremendous defensive and offensive player. Standing at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, “The Martian” certainly has the frame to be a professional player, paired with speed and impressive athleticism. With Hudson Valley in 2022, at just 19 years old, he hit .306 with a .397 OBP across 40 games. He’s climbing the farm system at an astronomical pace, leading Boone to believe he will be called up “sooner rather than later.”
“The track that he’s on especially what we saw last year and what we’re seeing this spring, he could throw himself in the mix sooner rather than later.”
At the end of the day, the Yankees can’t stop themselves from calling up their top talent, even if it means forfeiting service time manipulation. However, there’s no question Dominguez will likely start in the minor leagues. Still, he could elevate to Triple-A Scranton quickly, putting him in the mix to help down the stretch with the Yankees if they need to supplement any injuries or liabilities in the outfield. With injuries already creeping up on Harrison Bader and Giancarlo Stanton‘s unreliability as a defensive piece, the Yankees need to consider Dominguez as a solution this year.
That is not even mentioning the left-field position battle that is currently unfolding. Aaron Hicks is coming off two consecutive down years, and the Yankees don’t have a reliable everyday starter, so if Dominguez can continue hitting and showing consistency in Triple-A, once he’s called up, who’s to say he doesn’t find himself in the MLB competing at the highest level.