With a locker between 2 former ROYs, is this 'The Martian's' year?
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochTAMPA, Fla. -- Jasson Domínguez said he ¡°was kind of surprised¡± by his improved real estate as he surveyed locker assignments in the spring clubhouse, the Yankees top prospect¡¯s belongings now wedged between those of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. His teammates recognized the upgrade, too.
¡°We were joking with him, like, ¡®Hey, you¡¯ve got two Rookies of the Year right next to you. This is going to be your year,¡¯¡± Judge said. ¡°You go out there and do your thing, something special is going to happen.¡±
Though ¡°The Martian¡± enters the spring with an open lane to claim starting duties in the Bombers¡¯ outfield, manager Aaron Boone said the organization wants to see the 21-year-old ¡°earn¡± a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Dom¨ªnguez made a good first impression on Monday, highlighting the Yankees¡¯ first full-squad workout with a long home run off Carlos Rod¨®n. As one of the most celebrated prospects in recent memory, Dom¨ªnguez seems ready to embrace his opportunity.
¡°The pressure is there, but I feel like it¡¯s a good thing to have, because it¡¯s to get ready to be the player that everyone expects me to be,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said.
That the homer came as a right-handed batter was notable for the switch-hitting Dom¨ªnguez, who acknowledged he ¡°felt lost¡± hitting from that side of the plate after returning from surgery to repair a damaged right ulnar collateral ligament.
Including the Majors and Minors, Dom¨ªnguez hit .318 (69-for-217) against right-handed pitching last season, with 12 homers, 33 RBIs and 49 strikeouts. Lefties held Dom¨ªnguez to a .185 (12-for-65) mark, with one homer, six RBIs and 20 strikeouts.
¡°There¡¯s definitely adjustments that I had to make, and I was working on that this offseason,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said. ¡°This season is going to be better.¡±
Dom¨ªnguez said there was never a point where he considered abandoning switch-hitting, as utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera has largely done. Boone said he expects Dom¨ªnguez to be an impact player from both sides, blending power and selectivity.
¡°Again, he¡¯s really young and he¡¯s not real experienced,¡± Boone said. ¡°Over time, I think he¡¯s going to be a real factor from both sides of the plate. He¡¯s probably further along right now left-handed; certainly, the results would suggest that. But it¡¯s a pretty small sample for a young man.
¡° ¡ I think over time, we¡¯ll look up and he¡¯ll be a guy that¡¯s still switch-hitting years from now, and a factor switch-hitting.¡±
The Yankees -- and their fans -- figure to be watching Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s defense closely this spring as well.
Shifted from his natural center field assignment into left field late in the Triple-A season, Dom¨ªnguez was shaky in a September big league cameo; his misplays prompted the Yankees to start Alex Verdugo in left field throughout the postseason, prioritizing run prevention.
Dom¨ªnguez made it into three postseason games as a pinch-runner, twice in the American League Championship Series against the Guardians and once in the World Series against the Dodgers. Otherwise, Dom¨ªnguez was on the bench, which he accepted as a chance to learn.
¡°I think that time during the World Series was a good time for me to feel what it is like, the pressure at Yankee Stadium,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said. ¡°I never experienced something like that before. In the playoffs, you feel like everything matters.¡±
Dom¨ªnguez has spent the better part of two weeks working with outfield coach Luis Rojas at the club¡¯s Tampa complex, where he has been going through a gauntlet of drills -- slicing angles, navigating walls, diving, sliding, throwing to bases, and more.
¡°Ultimately, there¡¯s a lane for him to take [a roster spot], and we know he¡¯s got the talent to take it,¡± general manager Brian Cashman said. ¡°It¡¯s good to get him back out and running his reps. We¡¯re looking forward to seeing the real quality player on both sides of the ball. We think he can help us, and he¡¯s got an opportunity to prove that he can.¡±
Once Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s raw tools are refined, Judge said the Yankees will have ¡°a definite five-tool player¡± at their disposal for years to come.
¡°He¡¯s a guy that is dynamic on both sides; he¡¯s a switch-hitter who can play good defense and run the bases well,¡± Judge said. ¡°Coming out of this spring, [I hope he] has a healthy spring. I just want to see him continue to have great at-bats, work the count, do what he needs to do.
¡°This guy is going to play. He can go out there and have an incredible season for us.¡±