Jasson Dominguez Opens His Own Lane
The game was a struggle for the Martian. He was on the unfamiliar ground against a legend of the past Jacob deGrom. He was one of his nine strikeout victims in the first engagement of past versus present to start this contest because he was the prey. However, it's not how you start but how you finish. Jasson Dominguez through muscle memory remembered he was the hunter and when the moment presented itself, he pounced on a weak offspeed pitch that dropped into his wheelhouse. He looped a walk-off homerun, his first ever, to stun the Texas Rangers and gave another hint that he is for real.
Jasson has had his moments this year. The three-home run game against the A’s earlier this month or his home run off Justin Verlander in his first MLB at-bat two years ago. He can make the moment but more importantly, he has other skills that don't display as loudly, but count just as much. He has a keen batting eye and finds ways to get on base with a .340 OBP along with 33 hits, 20 walks, and 40 runs scored in 40 games. He is a speed demon on the basepaths ranking in the high 90th percentile on savant. He defensively has at the least removed the narrative of fielding deficiency. There is a reason he is a five-tool talent. Yet he still cannot get the Anthony Volpe treatment and play daily. However, like Ben Rice and Will Warren, he will have to make his lane and force the Yankee's hand. If tonight is any indication, it's time to let their top prospect dip into his toolbox more often.
If Dominguez ultimately succeeds this season, he is going to be a major factor for the Yankees. It will be his demeanor that you can point to as the key. His ability to not be moved by circumstance and remain focused on the job at hand has served him well. He is as patient on the bench as he is at the plate. “He’s just not affected by great results or a struggling day,” Yankee manager Aaron Boone explained, “He just kind of puts a smile on his face, goes to work, and likes playing the game with his teammates.” In only two months, Jasson has impacted many games in subtle ways. Yet the numbers are slowly starting to show improvement. His average is climbing and with six home runs and 22 RBIs, Jasson is productive even though he is not a Yankee favorite organization-wise.
The kid has had it all along. He is putting up numbers and playing the field using pure talent and instinct. He is only 22 years old and has not even scratched the surface yet. His home run last night was in his words giving off a Juan Soto vibe. He is wise beyond his years and if the Yankees would just let him play regularly he would mature quicker than most. The glass ceiling is there for him to shatter and last night he may have just broken through. It's easy for him when you have the talent he does to impact games. He is a professional but a kid at heart and he is paving his lane on the highway to his destiny. “As soon as I hit it, I knew it was my first walk-off,” Dominguez explained with that Chelshire grin that implies the best is yet to come.
