It might be practically inconceivable for Jasson Domínguez to stay as much as superior billing.
Once you signal as a 16-year previous and are in comparison with Bo Jackson, Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout — add within the typical New York hype machine — nothing wanting a Triple Crown and a Nobel Peace Prize would do, proper? And the loopy factor is, these comps got here from a scouting business that usually isn’t keen on hyperbole.
So right here we’re, on the verge of seeing the child named “The Martian” (due to his otherworldly instruments) make his Main League debut. How can we separate fable from actuality, truth from fiction, to determine what’s truthful to count on of a 20-year-old phenom pushed to the best degree for the primary time?
The hype machine solely grew once we couldn’t see Domínguez in a aggressive sport till 2021, with video clips of him mashing baseballs whetting our collective urge for food. The Yankees have by no means hesitated to offer their No. 2 prospect aggressive assignments, beginning with bumping him rapidly to full-season Tampa in that debut season. MLB’s No. 78 prospect performed a complete of 57 video games that season, and whereas he actually held his personal because the second-youngest hitter within the league and confirmed off glimpses of the uncooked instruments that had evaluators so excited from the outset, he additionally struck out in additional than 30 % of his plate appearances, regarding some.
To his credit score, that strikeout price shrank in a 2022 marketing campaign that noticed him play throughout three ranges. He did his greatest work with Excessive-A Hudson Valley (.306/.397/.510 in 40 video games) and completed the 12 months with an OPS of .837. His wRC+ of 135 put him within the prime 60 of all Minor Leaguers with not less than 400 plate appearances. Possibly that’s not extraterrestrial qualities, however on condition that he was simply 19 and had already touched the higher ranges, it was stable. Regardless of a tough Arizona Fall League marketing campaign, we nonetheless ranked him No. 47 on our Prime 100 checklist in the beginning of the 2023 season.
This 12 months has been a story of two halves. Domínguez regarded misplaced for a lot of the primary few months of the 12 months. Beginning again with Double-A Somerset, the outfielder was gazing a .197/.345/.357 line on the finish of June. Whereas he did have 10 homers and 17 steals to go together with a stroll price north of 18 %, he additionally was placing out at a 28 % clip. He appeared very human. Trying again, that clearly was a motive why once we did our full re-rank this month, many evaluators gave us suggestions to pump the brakes a bit, which is why he’s at No. 78 presently.
Because the calendar flipped to July, although, he’s been a lot nearer to the prospect many have anticipated to see. Together with his transient however torrid cease in Triple-A earlier than getting known as up, Domínguez hit .346/.418/.507 from July 1 on, with 5 extra house runs and 22 extra steals. He nonetheless drew walks, albeit at a decrease clip (11.3 %), however his strikeout price additionally plummeted right down to 19.7 % over that point span. That allowed him to boost his wRC+ to 121 (100 is common).
He performed simply 9 video games with Scranton-Wilkes Barre, posting a 1.094 OPS whereas with the RailRiders, and the final two months of efficiency have folks as soon as once more very excited to see what comes subsequent. However once more to possibly attempt to offset the hype machine, that places him No. 126 amongst all Minor Leaguers with not less than 400 plate appearances. For comparability sake, the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday leads all of these hitters with 169 wRC+.
The switch-hitter nonetheless has a ton of bat pace and is able to hitting the ball extraordinarily arduous. He continues to be a barely higher hitter from the left facet of the plate; in 2023, he had a 25 % miss price as a left-handed hitter and 32 % from the fitting facet, in accordance with Synergy. This isn’t a suggestion to relaxation him in opposition to robust southpaws the remainder of the way in which, however extra a warning to mood expectations when a lefty is going through the Yankees.
Early within the 12 months, Domínguez appeared to be fighting swing selections, at occasions being too passive after which being overly aggressive in different plate appearances, resulting in these stroll and strikeout charges. One thing has clicked over the previous two months in that regard, and the Yankees need to hope that may proceed in opposition to the hardest pitching he’s ever confronted.
As with many younger hitters, Domínguez doesn’t miss many fastballs, with only a 21 % miss price and an OPS of .856 in opposition to heaters. Count on him to see a whole lot of spin within the large leagues. This 12 months within the Minors, Domínguez had a 30 % miss price in opposition to all breaking balls and a chase price of 31 %, and he additionally had a 35 % miss price in opposition to offspeed stuff. His capability to acknowledge and do harm in opposition to gentle stuff will likely be a key to his offensive success.
Whereas Domínguez has slowed down a bit and may be very sturdy and compact at 5-foot-9, 190 kilos, he has continued to be an aggressive and profitable asset on the basepaths, with 40 steals this 12 months and 77 over the past two years mixed. His capability to attract walks and steal luggage ought to assist him even when it takes him a while to regulate to large league pitching.
It appeared on the outset of his profession that Domínguez is likely to be a five-tool beast in middle subject. Now plainly the jury is out on that, and a few scouts don’t love his palms or his defensive instincts up the center. He’s performed a whole lot of left subject this 12 months, and he does have loads of arm energy for both nook.
There may very well be some bumps on the outset as he will get his toes moist, however what he’s achieved within the Minors this 12 months is an efficient signal that he’s in a position to make changes as he’s challenged.