Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez turning heads at minicamp
The MLB lockout might be holding strong, but one New York Yankees minor leaguer is getting fans — not to mention his teammates — excited for what's to come.
Prospect Jasson Dominguez, who just turned 19 earlier this month, is turning heads in a big way, drawing comparisons to legendary players like Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout and Bo Jackson.
The Yankees dropped $5.1 million to sign Dominguez out of the Dominican Republic, and he is currently rated as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline despite only playing 56 pro games, all at Class A or below.
It's safe to say the Yankees are all-in on the 5-foot-10, 190-pound switch-hitter after shelling out nearly all of their July 2019 international bonus pool for one player.
It has yet to be revealed where Dominguez will begin the upcoming Minor League season (the safe bet is Low-A Tampa), but Dominguez said that he has already set a personal timetable for his arrival — at age 20 or 21 — which would put him in Yankee Stadium by 2023 or '24.
Big talk for a teenager.
While speaking with the media after Wednesday's workout, and after getting the question relayed to him in Spanish by the team's translator, Dominguez — a native Spanish speaker — broke out an answer in English.
And right away, it was obvious how proud both of them were of the effort.
Dominguez played in 49 games for Tampa last season (.258/.346/.398) after a seven-game cameo in Rookie ball. He drove in 18 runs, and 15 of his 48 hits were for extra bases, including five homers.
Shortstop Anthony Volpe, the Yankees’ No. 1-ranked prospect, gave a glimpse into what it's like playing with the budding star.
"Watching his BP is awesome," he shared. "We call him ‘Mini Aaron Donald.'"
"It’s fun to watch him. He’s a specimen. He has all the raw tools, and he probably could coast and not work as hard, but he works just as hard, if not harder, than anybody and that’s really awesome to see," Volpe added.
What's more, Dominguez's nickname is "The Martian" for his out-of-this-world talent on the baseball diamond.
How soon will baseball fans have to wait to see Dominguez in pinstripes? It might happen sooner than later.
"On all of our measurables, he’s right up there with some of the elites in the Major Leagues — max exit velo, his running speed, overall power for his body type," Yankees director of player development Kevin Reese said. "It’s really, really good. So I have no concerns with how that plays out over time."
