Jasson Dominguez
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| Photo: MLB.com |
Bio:
Age: 20
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Switch/Right
Hometown: Esperanza, Dominican Republic
Draft Profile: Signed as an International Free Agent June 11th, 2019
Drafted Out of: N/A
Career Stat Line: .260 AVG .368 OBP 36 HR 143 RBI 83 SB 0.975 Fielding %
The Martian, one of the more unique nicknames you'll hear in the sport. Very appropriate however, as Jasson Dominguez' ascension into not only this week's Minor League Spotlight...but the global baseball spotlight has been one of the more unique and rapid of any prospect ever.
Born in the Dominican Republic, his father Felix was a massive fan of the New York Yankees, so much so that he named his second child after the Bombers' first baseman at the time Jason Giambi (ESPN). Jasson followed in the footsteps of both men, pursuing the sport professionally.
The first gift Dominguez would receive from his Dad was a baseball glove. He was inspired by watching Felix on the diamond, and began to play organized ball of his own when he turned seven (Diario Libre). Early on, it was clear that he was a vastly superior talent to many of his peers, which is when he'd earned his aforementioned nickname, El Marciano. The moniker's followed him since.
At the age of 13, he began to travel to Santiago for training under the tutelage of Ivan Noboa. The natural lefty was always up early, working on his switch hitting and positional drills. He excelled at catcher and shortstop before ultimately settling in at center field, where he was most able to take advantage of his impressive speed (ESPN). The teenager developed into a force from both sides of the plate as well, only increasing the hype surrounding him.
"Jasson has a game that's very much like Mike Trout -- except he's a switch-hitter," said Noboa. "It's a hard name for me to say, because it's really high expectations for a 16-year-old. But what Jasson is we all know. I know it's a little bit unfair to put them next to each other. It's a heavy weight to carry. But if someone can do it, it's him."
Comparisons to greats like Trout and Mickey Mantle at such an early age provided a tremendous bar to live up to, especially for a kid not even halfway through high school. But his style of play, commitment to the game and astronomical potential justified the praise. On July 2nd, 2019, at the age of just 16, the New York made Dominguez an offer he couldn't refuse, signing him for a $5.1 million bonus-- 94% of their international pool money-- plus $250,000 extra for educational use specifically, and his dream was realized (Bleacher Report). He was officially a member of the Yankees organization.
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| Photo: MVP Sports Talk |
Then came COVID, in what would've been the kid's first chance to experience and acclimate to pro ball. While he did stay active at the Charlie Nova Baseball Academy in Santiago (SI.com), it was certainly a missed opportunity to springboard further into his journey.
But it wasn't a battle any other player wasn't experiencing, and Dominguez was back to it the following year. The now-18 year old spent the first two and a half months in the Dominican League before an unspectacular seven game stint at the Yankees' Florida Complex. He quickly was moved up to the Class A Tampa Tarpons, where he'd spend the rest of the season, cumulatively ripping a modest .252/5/19 line at the plate. He was also selected to represent New York in the 2021 MLB Futures' Game.
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| Photo: John Brophy/ Pinstriped Prospects |
2022 was kind to the top prospect in the organization, ascending three levels of play, all the way from Tampa to AA Somerset. His most productive stop was at A+ Hudson Valley, slashing .306/.397/.510 splits with the best K:BB ratio he's displayed thus far in his career. The Martian totaled 16 homers, 59 RBI and 37 stolen bases on the year, earning an MiLB Organizational All-Star honor (MiLB.com). There was room for improvement in the contact department, but it was a promising display overall.
Somerset has been where Dominguez has stayed through 107 games in 2023. He's rocked fifteen long balls, good for 11th in the Eastern League, while sporting a .366 on-base percentage and playing squeaky clean outfield patrol. Definite bright spots, but a .251 batting average and 26% strikeout rate are a bit of a concern for the Yankees' brass. He's still only 20 years old, nearly four years younger than his competition (Baseball Reference), so we can overlook some of the red flags for now, but they're at least worth noting.
Many were hoping Jasson would have breezed on up to AAA, but up to this point he's shown that he's simply not 100% ready to do that. However, the few labeling him a bust are completely incorrect. Four of the five tools he was so hyped for have translated nicely through the minors, so he'll absolutely have a place on the Yankees' roster within the next season or two. If he can get that average in a more workable spot, look out.
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@Choppinglines
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