Yankees News: Domingo German shuts down Astros rivalry, Jasson Dominguez waiting patiently

New York Yankees, Jasson Dominguez

The Yankees’ most illustrious prospect has been waiting patiently for his opportunity in the minor-league system. Having missed an entire year due to COVID-19, Dominguez is projected to start his professional career with Low-A Tampa, so we will finally get a glimpse of what he offers at the professional level.

As a five-tool prospect with switch-hitting capabilities, Dominguez has earned comparisons to some of the best players in MLB history, but it might be a bit premature for that. We need to see some live-action and production before his name is even brought into the conversation with guys like Bo Jackson and Mickey Mantle. However, his raw athleticism and youth certainly brew optimism regarding his potential.

“Everything that we’ve seen from this kid, he’s super talented, but he hasn’t played a game here yet,” Kevin Reese, the Yankees’ senior director of player development, said this spring, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “It’s hard to help him manage those expectations, because he’s not going to show up tomorrow and perform like Mike Trout or Aaron Judge or Brett Gardner.

The New York Yankees have a big series against the Houston Astros this week:

Whenever the Yankees face off against the Astros, there’s certainly bad blood in the air. Houston is no pushover, and after being exposed for their cheating a few seasons ago, fans around the MLB have continued to boo them in hopes of demise. This is an opportunity for the Yankees to strike back at home, as both teams have similar records.

The Bombers will host Domingo German as their starting pitcher for the first game of the series against Zack Greinke, but German is focused on baseball, not the rivalry between the two teams.

“No, not at all — not as of right now,” Germán said through an interpreter. “We know we’re playing Houston, so we know we’ve got to go out there and compete and give the best we have — just like every single time we go out there.”

German has the right approach, valuing every game equally as a competition. As things against Houston oftentimes spillover, German just wants to piece together another successful performance after starting the 2021 campaign on the wrong foot. This is undoubtedly an opportunity for him to get in the good graces of skipper Aaron Boone.