Yanks prospect 'Martian' hits moonshot in ST opener

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Jasson Domínguez stood in the batter’s box for an extra beat on Saturday afternoon, his left hand helicoptering a bat high above his head. Peering toward the fence in left-center field, he admired the flight of his first home run with "NEW YORK" stitched across his chest.

There will probably be many more to come.

Making his Grapefruit League debut, Domínguez left his mark in the Yankees’ 7-4 loss at BayCare Ballpark, belting an impressive fifth-inning long ball off Phillies left-hander Ben Bowden. Domínguez’s blast came off the bat at 109.7 mph and 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,” Domínguez said through an interpreter. “[Big league camp 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’s been great.”

Nicknamed “The Martian” and standing a barrel-chested 5-foot-10, the switch-hitting center fielder is rated as the club’s No. 2 prospect and No. 47 overall by MLB Pipeline.

The 20-year-old Domínguez is also the youngest player in Yankees camp, though manager Aaron Boone said the outfielder displays maturity beyond what his birth certificate might indicate.

“Just watching him before the game, moving around, he’s at ease,” Boone said. “He seems like a confident kid that likes playing the game amongst friends. He seems happy to me. You can tell he likes the game, the things that go with everything around the game.”

Padding through the visitors' clubhouse in socks after Saturday’s 1-for-3 performance, still dressed in his full uniform while munching on a cheesesteak wrapped in foil, it was impossible not to think that Domínguez sure looks the part.

“He’s strong. He showed what he can do today,” said infielder Gleyber Torres, who also homered Saturday. “He’s got really good power. He got the perfect pitch and did really good damage on that fastball. He’s a guy that wants to compete and, for sure, he wants an opportunity to play in the big leagues.”

Lofty expectations have followed Domínguez since he scored a $5.1 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2019; the names Bo Jackson, Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout were frequently tossed around by evaluators, then echoed by fans and media.

Understandably, the Yankees are sensitive to the pressure of unrealistic expectations. They aren’t looking for him to be Bo or The Mick; The Martian can just be himself. The club continues to believe in Domínguez’s promise, especially after continuing to see him develop over the past several seasons.

Playing at three levels of the farm system last year, Domínguez batted .273/.375/.461 with 23 doubles, seven triples and 16 homers in 120 games for Single-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, driving in 59 runs while stealing 37 bases.

“His improvement year to year on the field speaks for itself with how much he’s improved, simplifying his swing and having better at-bats,” said infielder Anthony Volpe, the Yankees’ top prospect. “But I think off the field, how he interacts with teammates, media and things like that, it’s super impressive. I think it speaks a lot to him and how he’s been brought up, and what he’s been able to absorb.”

Last July at Dodger Stadium, Domínguez launched a homer in the All-Star Futures Game, a highlight that he said was on par with Saturday’s blast.

“My career has been a progression, especially looking at last season,” Domínguez said. “Where I started and where I ended, it progressively got better for me. I think it has to do with understanding the game better, how to stay neutral in the box and look for a certain pitch, and to be able to execute on that pitch. It’s definitely a learning experience.”

Domínguez will likely begin his 2023 season with Double-A, having played just five games above A-ball in his career. But there are only about 50 miles between that Somerset stadium and the Bronx (more if you detour to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, of course).

Could Domínguez be playing under Yankee Stadium’s bright lights by season’s end?

“Honestly, that’s not a thought that has crossed my mind,” Domínguez said. “I’m the type of person that likes to focus on the task at hand and in front of me, especially the day-to-day. Things like that, I don’t have any control about that. To me, it’s just a laser-focused mentality on the task in front of me.”