Who is Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees’ 2023 spring training sensation?

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Jasson Dominguez has emerged as the Yankees’ newest spring training sensation leading to fans hailing him as a true five-tool center fielder and a future star for New York. Dominguez is only 21, but he might be the Yankees prospect with the most potential. He’s made his MLB debut, but thanks to a UCL tear, we only saw a glimpse of ‘The Martian.’

Jasson Dominguez began his professional career in the year 2022 in Low-A ball before moving to Double-A Somerset after a few months. The Yankees invited their prospect to their 2023 spring training in their run-up to the big leagues, and he smashed there.

An outfielder for the New York Yankees, Jasson Dominguez is from the Dominican Republic. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 47 overall. Baseball America says that he is the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect and ranks No. 67 among all prospects in the baseball.

In 2022, Jasson Dominguez scored 92 runs at .267 average in 120 games. This included 123 hits, 23 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs, 59 RBIs, 72 walks, 128 strikeouts, 37 stolen bases, and an OPS of .836. As a center fielder, he had 102 starts and a fielding percentage of .969%.

Jasson Dominguez’s rise to fame

The Dominican player was born on February 7, 2003. His father Felx Domnguez used to play baseball and is an avid fan of the New York Yankees. He named Jasson Dominguez after Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi. Dominguez was born in 2003 and the same year, Giambi hit two home runs in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against Pedro Martinez. If Jasson can reach his full potential, he could very well have a more famous career than his namesake.

After starting to train for a career in baseball at age 8 and signing with trainer Ivan Noboa at age 13, the youngster looked like he was going to become a big star. Before he moved to center field, Jasson Dominguez played as a catcher. During his training, he was called “El Marciano,” which is Spanish for “the Martian.”

He was so talented that during his early days, his teammates and coaches often commented that “his talents was out of this world, might be from Mars.” They started calling him “El Marciano,” which is Spanish for “the Martian.” Fans and analysts began to compare him to Mickey Mantle, Bo Jackson, and Mike Trout after his workout videos went viral on social media.

In the 2019–2020 international class, Jasson Dominguez was ranked as the best prospect who could sign with an MLB team. On July 2, 2019, he signed with the Yankees for a franchise-record signing bonus of $5.1 million. He got most of the $5.4 million the Yankees had set aside for international signings that year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the minor league baseball season was canceled in 2020 and he didn’t play. Instead, he trained at a baseball academy in Santiago.

Jasson Dominguez’s Yankees career

The 2021 season started for Jasson Dominguez in an extended spring training. In June, he played his first game in the Rookie-level with the Florida Complex League Yankees. He went on to play for the Yankees in the All-Star Futures Game in 2021 and became the first young player to play there without having played in a minor league for a full season.

After the Futures Game, the Yankees moved Jasson Dominguez to the Low-A Southeast League with the Tampa Tarpons. In the Florida Complex League, he had gone 4-for-20 (.200) with six strikeouts and six walks. In 49 games, he played in, he hit .258 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.

In 2022, Jasson Dominguez started the season with Tampa. He played in the 2022 All-Star Futures Game and was then moved up to the High-A South Atlantic League’s Hudson Valley Renegades. When Hudson Valley’s season was over, the Yankees moved Jasson Dominguez up to the Class AA Eastern League’s Somerset Patriots for the team’s last few regular season games and postseason.

In 2023, the Yankees asked their No. 2 prospect, who was not on the team’s roster, to come to the team’s spring training in Tampa, Florida. The Martian showed his class on February 25 by hitting the first home run of the spring. In a game that saw the Yankees going down 7-4 to the Phillies, Jasson Dominguez hit a solo home run off of Ben Bowden, a left-handed pitcher for Philadelphia. It was Jasson Dominguez’s first game with the Yankees in spring training, and it was also the first home run he hit with the team.

On March 5, in his second time up to bat with the big leaguers, Jasson Dominguez hit another home run. The Yankees beat the Braves 10-6 at CoolToday Park because of his three-run home run. The second home run Jasson Dominguez hit this spring was a huge one. The ball went over the wall in right field, hit a cement walkway, and then went high into the air.

In the spring training game against the Atlanta Braves, Jasson Dominguez’s home run overturned an early deficit caused by Carlos Rodon‘s poor start and gave the Yankees a lead they wouldn’t lose. His homer became crucial for the Yankees’ victory.

The Bronx Bombers’ 20-year-old outfielder is the team’s youngest player, but he’s already making an impact on some senior veterans and putting the league on notice. Yankees center fielder Harrison Bader is one of those who is awestruck by the super-prospect.

“I mean, I get why they call him El Marciano,” Bader told reporters. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s got serious tools. He’s just a fun player to watch. I see why everyone’s excited about him. I’m excited for him and his baseball journey.

The New York Yankees don’t often have such a young prospect come up early and help the team. Even Gleyber Torres didn’t play his first game until he was 21, which was still pretty young. Considering this many think that Jasson Dominguez doesn’t look like he will make the Yankees MLB roster cut.

Bringing life to the 2023 Yankees, Jasson Dominguez’s debut

Jasson Domínguez’s 2023 season with the New York Yankees marked a significant, albeit brief, milestone in his burgeoning career. Promoted to the major leagues on September 1, 2023, Domínguez made an immediate impact by hitting a home run off Justin Verlander in his first major league at-bat, becoming the youngest player in Yankees history to achieve this feat in his debut. His remarkable start was unfortunately cut short due to a torn UCL, requiring Tommy John surgery after just eight games.

Before his promotion, Domínguez showcased his talent across Double-A and Triple-A levels. He began the year at Double-A Somerset with a challenging start but quickly found his form, ending his tenure in Somerset with a .254/.367/.414 slash line, 15 home runs, 83 runs scored, and 37 stolen bases in 44 attempts, highlighting his blend of power and speed. A stellar performance in the latter part of his Double-A season earned him a promotion to Triple-A Scranton, where he continued to excel with a .419/.514/.581 line over nine games, demonstrating exceptional plate discipline and contact skills.

Despite a limited sample size in the majors, Domínguez’s stats were impressive: a .258/.303/.677 slash line, four home runs, and a 162 wRC+ over eight games. His performance indicated a promising blend of power and speed, underscoring his potential as a dynamic contributor to the Yankees’ lineup. The transition to MLB also showcased his sprint speed, ranking in the 76th percentile, and while his strikeout rate increased compared to his Triple-A stint, it remained lower than his time in Double-A, suggesting an ability to adjust to higher-level pitching.

Throughout the 2023 season, across all levels, Domínguez hit 19 home runs, stole 41 bases, and produced 95 runs scored and 83 RBIs. These achievements underscore his multidimensional skill set, combining power, speed, and a keen eye at the plate, which forecasts a significant upside for the Yankees. Looking forward to his return post-recovery, the focus will be on Domínguez’s ability to adjust to major league pitching, refine his strike zone judgment, and capitalize on his power-speed potential.

Domínguez’s brief 2023 campaign, marked by historical achievements and a resilient climb through the minor leagues, sets the stage for a highly anticipated return. His performance not only lived up to the expectations set by his nickname, “The Martian,” but also provided a glimpse into the future impact he could have on the New York Yankees’ lineup, making his recovery and development a key storyline for the 2024 season.

Jasson Domínguez is currently making strides towards a hopeful summer comeback, already present at the Yankees’ minor league training facility in Tampa, Florida. His rehabilitation appears to be progressing well, with noticeable improvements in his arm strength and condition. Observations of Domínguez in the field have been encouraging, indicating a significant recovery. As he continues his preparations, the Yankees organization and its fans are optimistic about his return to the lineup. The focus remains on his readiness for competitive play, with the summer months targeted as a realistic timeframe for his return to action.

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