Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Explain Why Jasson Dominguez Will Start MiLB Season at Extended Spring Training

New York's top prospect won't begin the year with an affiliate, thus delaying his pro debut.

Gary Phillips

The Yankees tried to pull a fast one on Jasson Dominguez, but nothing was getting by him.

The team’s senior director of player development, Kevin Reese, recently yanked New York’s top prospect aside for a chat. The discussion pertained to Dominguez’s future in the organization but began with a joke meant to make the 18-year-old squirm.

Dominguez was told that he was in trouble for sneaking out of the team’s hotel, thus violating COVID-19 protocols. He quickly rejected the accusation.

“Foul ball! Foul ball,” Dominguez said. “No, no, no, that didn’t happen.”

The swift rebuttal highlighted Dominguez’s personality and sense of humor, which Reese has come to know well. Yankees fans, however, will have to wait a little while longer before they can acquaint themselves with one of baseball’s most hyped-up teenagers.

That’s because that conversation transitioned to Reese informing Dominguez that he will begin the minor league season, which starts Tuesday, at extended spring training in Tampa. The decision to leave him off an affiliated roster—thus further delaying his professional debut—stems from the unusual circumstances brought on by the pandemic.

“We’re in a different world, right? We didn’t play last year,” Reese explained. “Jasson is an 18-year-old that we’re all excited about. He’s got a lot of talent and a lot of skill. He hasn’t played in a ton of games, so we just wanted to put him in the best place to succeed.”

Dominguez, signed out of the Dominican Republic for $5.1 million in July 2019, took the decision in stride. Reese added that extended spring training won’t be as crowded this year, which should provide Dominguez more individual instruction as he continues to adjust to the pro ranks.

Dominguez is only working in center field. No matter what he does on the diamond, however, Reese walks away impressed with a prospect that he called “as advertised.”

“The first thing you notice is the physicality,” Reese said. “He doesn’t look like an 18-year-old kid. When guys come out of high school and they show up here, usually you want to get them in the weight room and you want to feed them and do those types of things. He is very physical, and you notice that in everything that he does. He’s explosive, whether it’s running, whether it’s the way he warms up and the way he moves around. He jumps off the page at you as you watch him perform.”

Reese understands that there’s an appetite to see Dominguez in action, and he teased that he expects that to happen sooner than later. Reese said there’s “absolutely” a chance that Dominguez winds up with an affiliate this year, noting that Low-A Tampa would be the logical next step. From there, Reese expects the teenager “to be a steamroller through the minor leagues.”

“I apologize that you have to wait a little bit longer for that mystery to unveil itself,” Reese added, “but when it comes, you’ll know.”

MORE:

Follow Gary Phillips on Twitter (@GaryHPhillips). Be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Published
Gary Phillips
GARY PHILLIPS

A graduate of Seton Hall, Gary Phillips has written and/or edited for The Athletic, The New York Times, Sporting News, USA Today Sports’ Jets Wire, Bleacher Report and Yankees Magazine, among others. He can be reached at garyhphillips@outlook.com.

Home/News