Yankees top prospect Jasson Domínguez homers off Justin Verlander in 1st MLB at-bat
After years of anticipation, New York Yankees top prospect Jasson Domínguez — nicknamed "The Martian" — has landed. And he made his first MLB at-bat worth the wait.
In his MLB debut Friday, Domínguez hit an opposite-field, two-run homer off Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Per MLB, the homer traveled 360 feet with a 100.2 mph exit velocity.
Domínguez joins a fun group of Yankees players to homer at the admittedly cherry-picked line of 20 years and 206 days old or younger: Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Ross Moschitto and Bobby Murcer, per YES Network's Seth Rothman.
His family was on hand for the occasion and was caught freaking out as the ball hit the left-field stands at Minute Maid Park:
1st swing in The Show. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/fr9GK5zxBI
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 2, 2023
The Yankees won the game 6-2, with Domínguez going 1-for-4.
Jasson Domínguez to start in CF for Yankees going forward
Expectations have been high for Domínguez, almost unfairly so, since he signed for a franchise-record $5.1 million bonus as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2019. Considered one of the most hyped international amateur prospects ever, the 20-year-old switch-hitter has worked his way through the minors over the past four years, earning his call-up Friday on the first day of MLB roster expansion.
MLB Pipeline currently has Domínguez as the No. 77 overall prospect in baseball and the No. 2 Yankees prospect. His minor-league stats — a .266/.372/.431 line with 36 homers and 86 steals in 295 total games— haven't quite been in the usual elite prospect territory, but his youth and tools provide plenty of reason for hope that he can be a star in New York. MLB Pipeline has all five of his tools rated as MLB average or better.
Domínguez will get plenty of opportunity to show he belongs. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters before the game that he will take over as the team's starting center fielder, replacing the waived Harrison Bader.
With the 65-69 Yankees languishing in last place in the American League East and 10.5 games out of a wild-card spot with a month to play, the team has plenty of reason to see what it can get from its young players. Catching prospect Austin Wells, the Yankees' No. 10 prospect, was also called up Friday and will be playing "a lot" behind the plate, per Boone.
