When the New York Yankees signed international prospect Jasson Dominguez to a $5 million contract last summer, not only did they secure a potential generational talent, but possibly the first-ever Martian in baseball. This could be a futuristic article where Martians have integrated into society with humans, and Jasson is the first of a new breed to join the beautiful game.
However, the young five-tool player is very-much human in biological nature, in everything else, it’s up for debate. At 16-years-old, Dominguez looks like he could be in the prime of his major league career, but he’s just getting started as scouts rave about his talents.
Yankees bench coach, Carlos Mendoza, was blown away by Jasson’s strength and overall attributes, stating:
“We watched him hit and he looked good,” he said. “He was impressive for being 16 years old. He’s a strong kid with great bat speed and power. We only saw him take BP, but he was hitting balls with Gary and Miggy. He looks like one of them. For that age, he’s pretty advanced.”
With his size matching up with Gary Sanchez and the newly ripped Miguel Andujar, it’s fair to say the Yankees might have stumbled across the jackpot. The youngster projects as a center-fielder, and it’s possible he reaches the big-leagues within the next two seasons, depending on his production in the minors.
MLB.com describes Dominguez as a “teenage Mike Trout,” which is incredibly optimistic, as reaching that level of quality would put the Bombers on another stratosphere of overall talent.
Outfielder Jasson Dominguez is the cream of the crop in this year’s class, and one of the best international prospects available in years. He signed with the Yankees. The 16-year-old Dominican is strong and athletic and has a mature body for his age. Think a teenage Mike Trout. He could be the first position player in the class to make it to the big leagues because he has all of the tools scouts love to see in young prospects now — and he projects to get even better. What’s more, he’s able to translate those skills into games.
As the Yanks move forward with an already stacked team, it’s exciting to remember they have a player of this caliber climbing through the ranks. The future is bright!
The New York Yankees are set to report to Spring Training next month, and all of Yankee universe was in a tizzy over Jasson Dominguez’s signing. While not expected to be “major league ready” until 2024 (which would make him a 21-year-old), people are heralding him as the next Mike Trout. Which makes this a crucial Spring Training for the Yankees another highly regarded outfield prospect. No, not Clint Frazier (although he needs to RAKE this spring if he wants his 4th outfielder spot back from Mike Tauchman). I’m talking about Estevan Florial.
Florial Still Shows Promise
Consistently regarded as a 5 tool player, Florial’s statistics show that he’s a more than capable ballplayer. It’s hard to take seriously the reports about Dominguez’s prowess because a highlight reel of him bashing dingers is just that. A highlight reel meant to make him look good.
Meanwhile, Florial’s track record indicates he is inching his way closer to cracking AA, and even AAA. Depending on his performance this spring, it could mean he finally plays above advanced A ball for the first time in his career, a step in the right direction for a team with fragility in all three outfield positions on the major league level.
But Florial is Also Injury Prone
Part of what has hindered Florial’s development in the minors is he’s just as injury prone as Hicks, Judge, and Stanton. In 5 seasons of minor league play, he’s played in less than 400 games, his highest total coming in 2017. Now, yes, he was shot in a mugging attempt in his home country, which isn’t his fault. But in 2018, he missed time due to surgery, and last season suffered a wrist fracture during Spring Training, sidelining him till June.
With the center field being his strongest position, and Hicks being almost as fragile as Jacoby was, there is a path for Florial by the end of this year, beginning of 2021 to make it to the bigs. But his defense is truly only a marginal improvement over Frazier’s. I do believe Frazier (like Andujar) can make a radical enough improvement to his defense to make them both Gold Glove caliber players either this OR next season. But if you can’t stay healthy, you don’t get to play, because someone else has your job. And if Florial can’t get out of spring healthy, he may never get a chance to get past Tampa.
He’s feeling the pressure right now. I just hope it doesn’t force him to blow it once the exhibition games start this spring.
A Daily look at a summary of News and Rumors of interest for New York Yankees fans!
Jasson Dominguez tops the 100!: Dominguez is on the top of all kinds of talent lists, and now he has been named the top baseball talent as Baseball America issued their list of top International Prospect Signings of 2019. The 16-year-old sensation was highly sought after, but the Yankees landed him when he signed a contract with the Yankees for a $5MM signing bonus last July. Dominguez turns 17 on February 7th, but with his height of 5′ 10″ and 190 pounds, the athletic kid looks in his mid 20’s. He has impressive speed and agility on the bases, a cannon for an arm that few would challenge, and a batting exit velocity of 110mph. Scouts say you don’t see that in a 16-year-old. Because of that and the incredible talent, he has earned the nickname “El Marciano” (The Martian).
Dominguez is from the Dominican Republic that has produced many young baseball stars such as Gleyber Torres, Domingo German, Luis Severino, and others. Jasson grew up an enormous Yankee fan and loved playing baseball. He is all muscle, but it’s not the stiff kind; he is super agile. When speaking with managers and scouts alike, he has been compared to Micky Mantle and a young Mike Trout. One scout stated that although he reminds you of Mike Trout, Trout didn’t have the power or talent that Dominguez has at his young age. For the time being, he is playing at the Yankee’s Boca Chica baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. Still, some say he is advancing so fast that he may debut professionally during the 2020 season.
Gerrit Cole visits Altobelli’s team: While the world is still shocked by the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and coach Altobelli, his daughter, and seven others, in the fatal crash of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter in California on Sunday. The Orange Coast College Pirates took the diamond for a game for the first time without their coach Altobelli. Altobelli was their coach for decades. The game was played between the OOC Pirates and the Southwestern’s. It was the first game of the season for the defending state Junior College champions. In attendance was newly acquired Yankee Gerrit Cole to show his support and respect for the loss of their long time coach. Cole is picking up on the history of the Yankees in being a player that does the right thing. Cole grew up on the California coast and spends the offseasons there.
Dusty Baker, named Astro’s Manager: As first reported by Cinncinati.com, Dusty Baker, the former Washington National, will be named the new Manager of the Houston Astros. Baker 70 has a great deal of experience managing in baseball spanning 22 years. He was the former manager of the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, and, most recently, the Nationals. The need for a new manager for the Astros was caused by the suspension of A.J. Hinch for his involvement in the sign-stealing scheme during the 2017 season and World Series. Immediately after the issuance of the punishments from Commissioner Manfred, Jim Crane, the Astros owner, fired Hinch. The Astros have interviewed several candidates for the job. Baker, who interviewed earlier this month, is a curious choice as he is old school and not an analytics guy.
Upon his arrival in Houston for his interview, he was asked by reporters what he thought about managing the Astros. He responded: “I’m just hoping to bring some love back to baseball, some integrity to the game, and I think I got relative respect in the game. There’s something missing. I need a (World Series) championship, and I’d like to bring a championship to the city of Houston.” He also cited that his former wife and her family live in Houston, along with his best friend and other family members. He said he has been there many times and likes the city. Baker will have a big job ahead of him as he tries to restore the image of the Astros, get to know his players, that combined with the fact that spring training is just weeks away, will have him on the job immediately.
The New York Yankees always do a stellar job of promoting their youth and the potential they hold for the future. Estevan Florial was the recipient of plenty of attention for his tools and development, despite the injuries he’s sustained over the past two seasons.
Florial’s favoritism has quickly dropped within the MLB prospect rankings after missing a good chunk of 2019 with a broken wrist. The latest youth prospect to shine through the clouded baseball mess is Jasson Dominguez, a 16-year-old Hulk lookalike.
Specifically for the Yankees, Baseball America has Dominguez ranked first, followed by pitchers Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia. The young Dominican native has impressed with his as of late with his batting videos, and the received raving reviews from scouts.
Dominguez is an advanced hitter from both sides of the plate with plate discipline, a low chase rate for someone his age and a swing path that allows his barrel to stay in the zone for a very long time. His sense of timing against all types of pitches mitigates the pre-pitch movement in his swing, and strong hands, wrists and forearms give him the potential for plenty of power from both sides of the plate. He has already shown exit velocities up to 108 mph from both sides of the plate in batting practice and has shown little problem turning around high-level velocity.
The Yankees scouted Dominguez as a shortstop and a catcher but decided that center field was the best place to deploy his natural gifts without exacting a heavy toll on his body. He has double-plus speed, which he combines with smooth, advanced route-running and quick-burst speed to help him track down balls in the far reaches of the outfield. His arm strength is plus or a tick better and is magnified by incredible accuracy. Internally, the Yankees describe Dominguez as a player who might be constructed with by taking the best tools from other players throughout their system and molding them into a single player. His power, speed and athleticism rank among the best in the organization, which gives him the highest ceiling in a system filled with young, high-upside prospects.
With Florial losing his ground as the Yankees’ top prospect, Dominguez could quickly take over the top spot and prove his worth in the minor league system. At such a young age, we know he has plenty of time left to progress, and he’s already begun preparing for the next step up.
The New York Yankees have one of the best 16-year-old baseball players on the planet in Jasson Dominguez, but I’m starting to think he might not be from this galaxy.
Take a look as the young projected center fielder blasts baseballs into oblivion, so far only the Guardians of the Galaxy can bring them back.
— Joe Randazzo🗽(Bronx Pinstripes crew) (@Yankeelibrarian) December 20, 2019
“He’s possibly the best combination of tools, athleticism, and performance that I’ve run across,” said Danny Rowland, who is an international scout for the Yankees. “Now, there’s a whole lot of time, a whole lot of at-bats and a whole lot of proving it between now and hopefully reaching the major leagues. Given his baseball background, his baseball acumen, his desire, his competitive nature, his work ethic, it’s never an easy thing to drop $5.1 million on one player, but he made it pretty easy.”
The Yankees have a potentially elite player in their system, just waiting to become of age and climb through at an astronomical rate. Dominguez signed a $5.1 million deal on July 2 of last year, making him one of the top, if not the highest-paid international prospect in baseball.
It is no secret that the New York Yankees are all in this year, but with all the eyes and attention on the Major League roster, there are still tons of things to be excited about in the minor league system as well.
Top Prospects’ Expected starting levels for 2020
For starters, it seems increasingly likely that Yankees’ 16-year-old phenom, Jasson Dominguez, will start the season skipping rookie ball altogether, thus finding himself in Staten Island or Charleston. It wouldn’t be the first time that an international prospect with his ceiling has skipped rookie ball entirely. Dominguez is without a doubt, a once in a lifetime type of player, and has been dubbed the “Teenage Mike Trout” thanks to his incredible tools, size, and talent. For Dominguez, expect him to rise throughout the system over the course of the next two seasons especially, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in AA at some point during the 2021 season — at only 18 years old.
Estevan Florial is one of the names that I’m sure some Yankees fans are getting sick of hearing at this point. Unfortunately for Florial, the previous two seasons have been shortened by freak injuries — a broken hamate bone and a broken right wrist — but there is no doubt that he has the talent and raw tools to be a great baseball player. Need I remind you that across his Spring Training time in 2019, while yes it was only 8 games, he flashed that potential and ability to be elite. In those 8 games he hit .368 with a HR and 4 SB’s as well. It looks as if Florial will come into Spring as part of the massive group of talented Outfielders wanting to showcase their abilities, but will likely begin the year in High A, or AA baseball.
As for the crop of extremely talented pitchers that the Yankees have in the minors; Deivi Garcia, Albert Abreu, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil amongst others, expect them to be closely monitored throughout this season. For Garcia especially, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is to be dangled as trade bait — as my colleague Alexander Wilson mentioned in a previous article. However, should he be on the roster this upcoming year, both he and Abreu are the two most likely to be called up come September when rosters expand, should they both pitch well enough prior.
Starlin back to the New York Yankees?
As Free Agency swings to the new year, there are some interesting options sitting on the market. One of which is Starlin Castro, whom Yankees fans should be very familiar with. “All-Starlin”, across two seasons (’16-’17) in New York managed to bat .283 over 1029 AB’s along with the iconic Adrian Beltre “on one knee!” HR vs Baltimore and his familiarity with the team and system — as well as his ability to man either SS or 2B — could be just enticing enough for Cashman to give him a look. Ultimately, Castro’s 111 wRC+ he posted with the team in 2016 was the second-highest of his career, and it would be an unnecessary signing if anything.
I am personally a big fan of Tyler Wade, and if Castro is looking to get upwards of $8,000,000 — right around the amount to which Miami promptly said “no thank you” to — I would say the same thing if I were Cashman. For me, Wade brings more to the table than Castro does, as his ability to play both the Middle IF spots, as well as LF and CF at a more efficient rate, lead me to believe that he should have a place on this team. Add to that the fact that Wade is far quicker of the two, and his plate discipline dwarfs Castro’s, and that right there is already a strong enough case. However, what Castro does bring is stability and consistency, as you know what you’re going to get with him & not to mention he played 158 games for the Marlins in 2018, and all 162 games in 2019 — ah the dream to have a player healthy for the entire season, must be nice.
The Passing of Don Larsen (08/07/1929 – 01/01/2020)
Last night, former Yankee pitcher Don Larsen passed away at 90 years of age. Larsen is the ONLY pitcher to ever pitch a perfect game in the World Series & he did so on behalf of the New York Yankees organization. The Yankees released a statement saying that his perfect game was “A Defining Moment for our franchise” and continued with: “The unmitigated joy reflected in his embrace with Yogi Berra after the games final out will forever hold a place in Yankees lore. It was the pinnacle of baseball success and a reminder of the incredible, unforgettable things that can happen on a baseball field.” Larsen was able to retire many legendary players like: Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Duke Snyder, and of course Jackie Robinson, en route to the first — and to this day — only World Series perfect game performance.
Larsen was married to his wife Corinne for 63 years, as the two of them recently celebrated their 63rd Wedding Anniversary on December 16th, 2019. Larsen’s catching mate and lifelong friend — before baseball great — Yogi Berra stated it best: “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.” And don’t worry Don, everyone here loves you and baseball, and that won’t change anytime soon.
May one of the best personalities to ever put on the Pinstripes, and owner of the accolade that nobody else has, Rest in Peace.
It is not healthy for a 16-year-old to stand at 5’10” and weigh 190-pounds. New York Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez, though, has defied all logic and continues to grow at an astronomical rate, not only in physical size but also in baseball abilities. He is rated as the number one prospect in the Yankees’ organization, and is regarded as one of the best international prospects in baseball.
Jasson has been compared to his players, such as Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout, and Bo Jackson. Growing up as a Yankees fan, Dominguez has always dreamed of playing in pinstripes, and he was handed the most significant international signing bonus of any player at his age.
Again, at 16, Dominguez has the potential to develop into an elite player. He is still at the amateur level of baseball and will not enter the minor leagues for quite some time, but his physical attributes are impressive and borderline inhumane. Signing for $5.1 million on July 2 of last year, Dominguez is just another top international Prospect the Yankees have managed to get their hands on.
The Yankees spent time and resources scouting Jasson Dominguez. They’ve made trades to gain international signing pool money in other to acquire him.
— Joe Randazzo🗽(Bronx Pinstripes crew) (@Yankeelibrarian) December 20, 2019
“He’s possibly the best combination of tools, athleticism, and performance that I’ve run across,” said Danny Rowland, who is an international scout for the Yankees. “Now, there’s a whole lot of time, a whole lot of at-bats and a whole lot of proving it between now and hopefully reaching the major leagues. Given his baseball background, his baseball acumen, his desire, his competitive nature, his work ethic, it’s never an easy thing to drop $5.1 million on one player, but he made it pretty easy.”
The Yankees already have a bright future ahead of them with Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge setting the stage. Still, they can be excited for even more in Dominguez, who possesses all of the right tools to develop into a deadly at the top level.
16-year-old Jasson Dominguez is rated the number one top prospect in the New York Yankees organization and is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, international prospects in baseball. He’s being compared to players such as Micky Mantle, Mike Trout, and Bo Jackson.
Growing up a Yankees fan, Dominguez is only 5’10” at 190 pounds, however, he’s still growing. However this small frame doesn’t impact his play at all, take a look at his scouting grade below, there’re unbelievable for someone his age.
There aren’t projections too, these are ratings based on his talents currently. At 16 years old, Dominguez is comparable to some of the top Major League players right now.
“He’s possibly the best combination of tools, athleticism, and performance that I’ve run across,” said Danny Rowland who is an international scout for the Yankees. “Now, there’s a whole lot of time, a whole lot of at-bats and a whole lot of proving it between now and hopefully reaching the major leagues. Given his baseball background, his baseball acumen, his desire, his competitive nature, his work ethic, it’s never an easy thing to drop $5.1 million on one player, but he made it pretty easy.”
The New York Yankees signed Dominguez out of the Dominican Republic on July 2nd for $5.1 million dollars. This is just another example of how strong the Yankee farm system is and more great work from general manager Brian Cashman.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of Jasson Dominguez, and rightly so. However, it’s important to remember that he’s still 16 years of age and has a lot of work before he can be considered for the Major Leagues. But it doesn’t hurt to dream, right?
YES Network posted the New York Yankees Top-10 Prospects for 2020. There are a few names on this list that we could see coming up to the big leagues next season.
1. RHP Deivi Garcia
Unsurprisingly first on the list, Deivi Garcia is the top-rated prospect in the Yankees organization. At just 20 years old, there’s already talk that he could potentially make a jab at the Yankees’ starting rotation next season.
He finished his 2019 season with unimpressive numbers, but he holds a high impression on the Yankees. Throwing a fastball in the upper 90s, he also features a sharp curveball; and when I mean sharp, I mean he has a spin rate that’s comparable to some of the premier pitchers in the Major Leagues.
General manager Brian Cashman has already said that he’s willing to take a look at Garcia as a potential candidate for next season’s rotation. Even though this is a little bit of a long-shot, Garcia will definitely be considered for a bullpen role.
2. OF Jasson Dominguez
Even though the New York Yankees have one of the best, if not the best, outfields in all of Major League Baseball, 16-year-old Jasson Dominguez has put a though into Cashman’s and Boone’s head for the outfield of the future.
Reported by MLB Pipeline as the top-ranked international prospect in the MLB, Dominguez already looks the part. “Dominguez is the cream of the crop in this year’s class, and one of the best international prospects available in years,” said MLB Pipeline’s Jesse Sanchez. “The 16-year-old Dominican is strong and athletic and has a mature body for his age. Think a teenage Mike Trout.”
To be comparing a 16-year-old to Mike Trout is something serious, and the kid has some serious talent.
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3. RHP Albert Abreu
Finishing his 2019 season in double-A with the Trenton Thunder, Abreu remains one of the top pitching prospects in the Major Leagues. Credited to a 4.28 ERA in 23 games during 2019, Abreu still has a few things he needs to work out but is progressing nicely.
At 24-years-old, he’ll most likely find himself in triple-A next year if he does well.
