‘MARTIAN’ BACK TO EARTH, AND DOING FINE
Big things still ahead for Dominguez
Otherworldly, the Martian, the next Mickey Mantle or simply Mike Trout: These are the designations that were broadcast across the baseball world about Jasson Dominguez when he inked a franchise-record international contract with the Yankees.
In 2019, the Bombers signed Dominguez — who was arguably the highest-touted international prospect in MLB history — to a contract with a $5.1 million signing bonus. Talent evaluators across the baseball industry were bullish on the eye-popping tools of the Dominican native with rankings as high as the No. 32 prospect in the game — according to MLB Pipeline — without even stepping foot on a minor-league diamond.
“I don’t really think (the expectations are) fair.” Yankee director of player development Kevin Reese said in the spring of 2021. “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.”
The present-day evaluation has fewer whispers of Mantle and Trout, and Dominguez’s Hall of Fame plaque has been put on hold. Entering the 2023 season, MLB Pipeline has the 19-year-old checked in as the No. 47 prospect in baseball.
Despite the luster of a historically anticipated prospect wearing a bit, there are still plenty of reasons to dream on the tools still in possession of the center-field prospect.
Dominguez played at three different minor-league levels in 2022 — which was his first full minor-league season — and seemingly got better as he climbed up the latter. His slash line between Low-A, High-A and Double-A registered at .273/.376/.461 with 16 homers and 59 RBI in 120 games.
Once he reached Double-A Somerset, he played just five regular-season games before setting the world on fire during the postseason. “The Martian” hit .450/.560/.950 with three homers and 10 RBI in five games, including a 3-4 performance with homers from both sides of the plate in the championship game, all but ensuring his spot at Double-A to begin 2023.
Dominguez was granted the opportunity to put his talents on display for a national audience as he was named to the MLB Futures Game in 2022 — alongside fellow Yankee farmhand Anthony Volpe, who batted fourth for the American League squad — at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles and gave them something worth watching by blasting a 415foot homer from the right side registering at 107-mph off of the bat.
Despite the flash, there are many elements to his game that still need to be developed, including the in-game power that is something the Bombers are still waiting to shine through on a more consistent bases. The switch-hitter regularly registers exit velocities more than 100 mph, even reaching as high as 117 mph in a sim game back in 2021 as an 18-year-old.
A hot topic of discussion is the amount of mass the young outfielder has put on his frame and what that means for his speed and ability to remain in center field long-term. However, Dominguez stole 37 bases in 44 attempts last season, indicating that the legs of the young outfielder are still very present — although it is crucial to recognize the organization-wide increase in stolen-base attempts and emphasis on baserunning throughout the Yankees system.
Defensively, there are mixed evaluations on whether Dominguez will even be a center fielder when it’s all said and done, as the corner outfield spots may be more suited for his frame.
From MLB pipeline: “His play in center field draws mixed reviews, with some evaluators believing he’ll remain up the middle and others thinking his defensive inconsistencies will drive him to a corner. With his solid-to-plus arm strength and offensive promise, he’d have no problem profiling well in right field.”
As always, time will tell and it’s crucial to consider the timeline when making observations regarding the prospect. Dominguez was the youngest player on Double-A Somerset’s roster by almost two years and has just one full season of professional baseball behind him.
There are plenty of opportunities for Dominguez to strive for at the major-league level. As it stands, the Yanks do not have a set answer in left field next season or beyond and current center fielder Harrison Bader is a free agent after the 2023 season.
Should Dominguez move as quickly through the minors this upcoming season as he did last year, the Martian could touch down in the Bronx as soon as 2024.