HOUSTON — New York Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone vividly remembers the poise and confidence 16-year-old Jasson Domínguez displayed when he watched him take batting follow on the group’s academy within the Dominican Republic in 2019.
“Proper then he acquired your consideration,” Boone stated. “It was like, it is a 16-year-old child [and] you see the talent set proper in entrance of you. He had that sort of simple smile to him, handles himself rather well.”
Domínguez wowed everybody Friday night time, hitting a two-run homer off Houston ace Justin Verlander in his first main league at-bat.
At simply 20 years, 206 days outdated, Domínguez grew to become the youngest Yankees participant to homer in his first recreation. He was the primary Yankees participant to go deep in his preliminary large league at-bat since Aaron Choose on Aug. 13, 2016.
Moreover, it was simply the second time a participant homered off a reigning Cy Younger Award winner in his first at-bat, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data. The opposite was Marcus Thames — additionally for the Yankees — on June 10, 2002, off Randy Johnson.
After Domínguez swatted his opposite-field dwelling run to the quick porch in left off a three-time Cy Younger Award winner twice his age, TV cameras panned to his household, who screamed and jumped round after watching the ball go away the yard for a 3-0 lead within the first inning.
4 years after Boone noticed him taking batting follow as a young person, the extremely touted prospect was an enormous hit in his large league debut. The switch-hitting outfielder and one other promising teenager, catcher Austin Wells, had been known as up from the minors by the last-place Yankees when rosters expanded Friday.
“Everybody’s excited for them and excited to see them,” Boone stated earlier than the sport. “Each [are] gifted guys who earned this chance, and looking out ahead to watching them go unfold their wings and proceed to develop and hopefully see some good issues.”
Domínguez is anticipated to be the group’s on a regular basis heart fielder after Harrison Bader was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds, and Boone stated Wells can even play quite a bit over the past month of the season. They had been each within the beginning lineup Friday night time, with Domínguez batting fifth and Wells seventh.
“After I heard the information, it was a particular second,” Domínguez stated in Spanish by way of a translator. “Simply to be right here, very excited. Completely happy to be proper right here at this time, and it is a special occasion.”
Wells is regarded extra for his bat than his protection, however he is hoping to point out he is usually a invaluable contributor in each areas within the majors.
“I am right here to do this as nicely and play and assist the group win,” he stated. “So, that is my purpose and if I can do it in any means, I will do it any means.”
Expectations have been excessive for Domínguez since he acquired a $5.1 million bonus when he signed with the Yankees. His distinctive mixture of power and velocity at such a younger age earned him a catchy nickname: The Martian.
However he stated he does not really feel any added strain due to that.
“I have not actually been paying an excessive amount of consideration to all that, all of the feedback and all of the details about me,” he stated. “I am not a lot on social media. I am not studying plenty of the completely different articles which might be written. I simply attempt to give attention to what I can do and attempt to play my recreation and higher myself in order that I can fulfill no matter expectation there’s being one of the best I could be.”
Domínguez was set to develop into the youngest participant to look in a recreation for the Yankees since 19-year-old pitcher José Rijo in July 1984 — and the youngest place participant since 20-year-old outfielder Stan Javier in April 1984.
Boone is actually conscious of the expectations individuals have for Domínguez and believes he’ll reside as much as them.
“I believe he’ll be a extremely good participant,” Boone stated. “I actually do. [He’s] not a completed product. And we’ll see how his journey goes. He is clearly a really younger man, tremendous gifted. I believe once we search for in a number of years, we will see a extremely good participant in entrance of us and he will get to begin to write that script, within the large leagues anyway, beginning at this time.”
Domínguez joins the group after taking part in simply 9 video games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He hit .419 with two doubles and 10 RBIs there after batting .254 with 15 homers and 66 RBIs in 109 video games for Double-A Somerset.
The 24-year-old Wells singled off Verlander in his first plate look. Wells hit .254 with 5 homers and 20 RBIs in 33 video games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was a first-round draft pick of Arizona in 2020.
Domínguez had a bunch of family and friends members in Houston for Friday night time’s recreation, together with his mom and father and a few aunts and uncles.
He stated he is at all times dreamed of taking part in within the majors, however he tries to give attention to the current fairly than fear an excessive amount of concerning the future.
“I focus quite a bit on my each day and on what I must do to maintain bettering or if there is a sure talent that I’ve acquired to enhance,” he stated. “So, to me, I attempt to maintain it quite simple. However now we’re right here within the large leagues and now I’ve an opportunity to style a number of the league and attempt to continue to learn from it.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
