Jasson Dominguez stepped into the batter’s box for an extra hit Saturday afternoon, his left hand throwing a bat over his head. Looking over the fence in left-center field, he admired the flight of his first home run with "NEW YORK" stitched on his chest.
There will probably be many more to come.
Making his Grapefruit League debut, Dominguez made his mark in the Yankees’ 7-4 loss at BayCare Ballpark, hitting an impressive long ball in the fifth off Phillies lefty Ben Bowden. Dominguez’s blast came off the bat at 109.7 mph and he was projected to travel 420 feet, landing on a grassy berm.
"I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on the ball"Dominguez said through an interpreter. "[El campamento de Grandes Ligas] It has been a learning experience and a lot of fun. I have been learning and having fun at the same time with all the guys around me. It has been great".
nicknamed "the martian" and standing a barrel chested 5-foot-10, the trade-hitting center fielder is ranked the No. 2 prospect in the club and No. 47 overall by MLB Pipeline.
Dominguez, 20, is also the youngest player in Yankees camp, though manager Aaron Boone said the outfielder shows maturity beyond what his birth certificate might indicate.
"Just looking at him before the game, moving, he’s at ease"Boone said. "He seems like a self-confident child who likes to play with friends. He seems happy to me. It shows that he likes the game, the things that go with everything that surrounds him".
Padded through the visitors’ clubhouse in socks after Saturday’s 1-for-3 performance, still dressed in his full kit while eating a foil-wrapped cheesesteak, it was impossible not to think Dominguez looks the part. .
"Is strong. He showed what he can do today"said infielder Gleyber Torres, who also homered Saturday. "It has very good power. He got the perfect pitch and did some really good damage on that fastball. He’s a guy who wants to compete and sure wants a chance to play in the big leagues.".