NEW YORK — Jasson Domínguez, nicknamed “The Martian” for his otherworldly talents, was ready to get weird. Once the Bleacher Creatures started chanting his name for his first roll call at Yankee Stadium, he put his two pointer fingers together to mimic an iconic scene in the movie “E.T.” before raising his right hand in the sky and pointing to, presumably, Mars.
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Wait. Has Domínguez, 20, even seen “E.T.”, which came out in 1982?
“No,” he said.
No matter. It was a moment that immediately went viral on social media. And it was a moment that Domínguez hopes to live again and again.
The switch-hitting top prospect continued his quest to prove to the Yankees that he belongs in their 2024 plans by collecting his first hit — an eighth-inning double to right-center field — and finishing 1-for-4 in his Bronx debut in a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.
“Incredible just being here at the stadium as a player, it’s such a great experience overall,” Domínguez said, via the Yankees’ Spanish interpreter. “Very exciting to be out there.”
The Martian records his first hit in the Bronx 👽
Watch and Stream #YANKSonYES LIVE: https://t.co/aRu5PF6iD2 pic.twitter.com/VyXh0jiwsE
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 6, 2023
The win was the Yankees’ seventh in their last eight games, bringing them to 69-69 — a record they haven’t attained since 1969. They improved to 7 1/2 games out of the final American League wild-card spot with 24 games remaining in the regular season.
“He looks like a fantastic player,” starting pitcher Gerrit Cole said of Domínguez.
When the Yankees promoted prospects Everson Pereira, an outfielder, and Oswald Peraza, a shortstop, on Aug. 22, it was a signal that they were looking ahead to next season as their disastrous 2023 campaign prepared for a crash landing. That idea only got more juice when they promoted fellow top prospects Domínguez and catcher Austin Wells on Friday in Houston.
The Yankees’ plan for September is to give the kids the majority of the playing time, hoping to speed up their development. But aside from shortstop Anthony Volpe, none of their youngsters appear to be a lock to be in next year’s Game 1 starting lineup. That even holds true for Domínguez, who has played only nine games at Triple A.
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When the Yankees waived Harrison Bader last week, it may have been a signal of how willing they would be to sign the center fielder to a contract when he’s a free agent this offseason. Bader’s tenure in pinstripes was marked by great defense, but also injury and poor performance at the plate. Domínguez may be the best in-house option, but that won’t stop the Yankees from pursuing a center fielder in the offseason either via trade or in free agency. The Cardinals’ Dylan Carlson stands out as a potential trade candidate considering the Yankees’ interest in him before the trade deadline. The Cubs’ Cody Bellinger, in the midst of a career resurgence, will likely be the best (and most expensive) option on the free-agent market.
For now, the Yankees will hope that Domínguez continues to force the issue. If the Yankees are seeking low-cost help in center field or in left field, allowing them to spend big elsewhere, Domínguez would appear to have a great shot at sticking around.
Manager Aaron Boone admitted the youth movement has reinvigorated the Yankees.
“I think the kids have definitely brought an excitement in our room,” he said. “We’re excited about it. The fan base definitely seems excited about it. I think it’s awesome that they’re supporting us.”
Will Domínguez get the chance to do it again off the bat next year? What about the rest of the members of the Yankees’ youth movement? We broke down their way-too-early 2024 outlooks:
Anthony Volpe, shortstop
Volpe, who turns 23 next April, appears entrenched as the Yankees’ shortstop. The Yankees love him and think he’ll only improve on what’s been an up-and-down rookie season. The only question when it comes to Volpe and the Yankees has been whether he would remain at his defensive position or if he would switch to second base in deference to Peraza, who is considered the superior defender by quite a bit. But Volpe’s defense hasn’t been a problem. In fact, he’s been so good that Boone has said that perhaps Volpe should be part of the “Gold Glove conversation,” and it’s not a crazy thought. FanGraphs’ Defensive Runs Saved statistic rated him second-best in the sport with 15, tied with the Cubs’ Dansby Swanson and behind the Rays’ Wander Franco (16). Though Statcast’s Outs Above Average gave him a 4, which placed him No. 14 among shortstops. Offensively, Volpe started slow with a .193 batting average over his first 77 games. But after that, he hit a much more respectable .250 with 10 home runs, 29 RBI and a .793 OPS over his 59 games before Tuesday.
Oswald Peraza, infielder
The Yankees could look toward Peraza to be their starting third baseman next season. Defensively, there’s no question he could handle it. But his offensive ability remains a question mark. His poor showing with the bat in spring training led to the Yankees giving Volpe the starting job in the Bronx. Then he had an extended hot stretch at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but by the time the Yankees called him up for the remainder of the season on Aug. 22, he had just a 107 wRC+ in 63 total games at the level — not much above average. And he’s scuffled so far this season in the majors with a 40 wRC+, just a 27.9% hard-hit percentage and a 2.9 percent barrel rate. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked Peraza as the No. 76 prospect in the game going into the season and wrote that Peraza needs to become “more selective and less pull-centric” and, so far, Peraza’s pull rate was at 54.4 percent. The MLB average is 37 percent. Things get more clear if the Yankees part ways with second baseman Gleyber Torres, who will be a free agent after next season and could be considered their top trade chip.
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Everson Pereira, outfielder
The Yankees weren’t scared to make the second-year Oswaldo Carbrera their left field starter this year — a bold move that backfired. But unlike Cabrera, Pereira was an outfielder coming up through the minors. And unlike Peraza, Pereira is a bat-over-defense prospect, lauded in the Yankees’ system particularly for his power and his makeup. The Athletic ranked Pereira as the game’s No. 51 prospect in its midseason top-60 update. Strikeout problems that plagued him in the minors have continued to persist in the majors as he had a 41.2 percent strikeout rate going into Tuesday. The Yankees were looking to add outfield help at the trade deadline, talking to the Cardinals about Carlson, and hoping that the Cubs might be willing to listen on Bellinger before they declared themselves buyers. Could the Yankees chase after Bellinger in the offseason and shift Domínguez to left field? Could they look again to trade for Carlson? It’s far from a lock that Pereira will be in the starting lineup for Opening Day on 2024.
The youngsters come through 🙌 pic.twitter.com/KdtnDqm9Tt
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 3, 2023
Austin Wells, catcher
The Yankees started Wells in his first three games, and he likely only sat Tuesday so that Gerrit Cole could be paired with Ben Rortvedt, his personal catcher. Wells has jumped Kyle Higashioka in the Yankees’ pecking order as well. With Jose Trevino expected to be healthy for spring training, and with how much the Yankees believe in Wells’ left-handed swing (especially with how tailored it seems for the short porch at Yankee Stadium), the 24-year-old seems likely to be the favorite to at least share duties next year with Trevino, especially considering how the Yankees have raved about Wells’ defensive improvements. What that means for the futures of Higashioka and Rortvedt is unclear.
Oswaldo Cabrera, utility man
With Isiah Kiner-Falefa set to become a free agent after the regular season, it’s not difficult to imagine Cabrera filling his utility role. Cabrera’s offseason project will be to rediscover the swing that helped him post a 109 OPS+ in his 2022 debut. He’s been among the worst hitters in the game this season. The Yankees didn’t do him many favors by keeping him in the majors throughout the middle of the season when he was clearly slumping and seemed as if he would benefit from regular at-bats at Triple A.
(Top photo of Jasson Domínguez: Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
