The Surprising Reason Why the Yankees Didn't Call Up Jasson Dominguez

The reason why Dominguez is still in the minors makes the Yankees' decision even more confusing.

Sep 2, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo (24) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees could really use Jasson Dominguez right now.

Despite losing each of their last three series to fall out of first place in the AL East, the Bronx Bombers have yet to call up their prized outfield prospect, who has been tearing the cover off the ball lately for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The 21-year-old is hitting .375/.474/.750 with a pair of homers and six RBI in four September games.

What makes the Yankees' decision to not promote Dominguez even more baffling is who they chose to give his at-bats to.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman are "keeping their faith" in left fielder Alex Verdugo, who would theoretically be replaced by Dominguez if New York's top prospect gets called up to the show.

"It isn't that Cashman and Boone aren't huge fans of Dominguez. They are," Heyman wrote. "The issue is Cashman and Boone seem to have surprising, outsized confidence in Verdugo. Recall that Boone advocated for Verdugo for more than a year before he was acquired for reliever Greg Weissert and two minor leaguers."

Heyman also reported that many executives were banging the table for Dominguez's promotion, only to be overruled by Cashman and Boone.

"Boone mentioned a pre-September 'conversation' among Yankees higher-ups about whether to promote Dominguez," Heyman wrote. "Insiders say it was a very spirited dialogue, with multiple executives strongly arguing for promotion, obviously unsuccessfully."

https://t.co/YrgpAgwHog. If Alex Verdugo is “beat up,” as they say, that’s yet another reason to promote The Martian

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 5, 2024

Despite a strong April, the 28-year-old Verdugo is having the worst season of his career. He is currently hitting .235/.293/.359 with 11 home runs, 56 RBI, and an 84 wRC+; from May 2 to September 4, he's hit an atrocious .227/.276/.337 with a 72 wRC+. Defensively, he's been serviceable in left field due to a strong throwing arm (his arm value ranks in the 99th percentile on Baseball Savant, while his arm strength ranks in the 94th), but he's still been prone to misplays (most notoriously in a game-ending play against the Baltimore Orioles on July 14).

Even more frustrating is Verdugo's lack of hustle; he has frequently jogged up the first base line after hitting routine groud balls, effectively giving up on these plays. After another instance occurred in New York's loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, Boone said that the lack of hustle is a result of him being "beat up". If anything, if Verdugo is dealing with bumps and bruises, this gives the Yankees the perfect opportunity to replace him with Dominguez; it would allow the veteran to get some much-needed rest, while the youngster would get the experience and development needed at the major league level.

Verdugo will be a free agent after the season, and Dominguez is expected to be available for the 2024 postseason without exceeding his rookie status (Dominguez is eligible due to being on the 40-man roster. With the Yankees looking to win their first World Series in 15 years, they need to have the best team possible on the field, and that starts with bringing up their top prospect.