This season, the power of the New York Yankees’ bats has helped them climb to the top of the MLB standings.
With outfielders Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Aaron Judge all ranking in the top six of the team’s slugging stats, they are second in the major leagues in total home runs and among the top 10 in RBI, hits, and slugging %.
With top-ranked prospect Jasson Dominguez starting a rehab assignment this week and looking to perhaps return next month, the team’s hitting might get much better very soon. Despite Dominguez’s bat’s potential, Randy Miller of NJ.com predicted that the Yankees won’t choose to shuffle their current outfielders in order to make that return.
The Yankees will have to choose between sticking with what has so far worked well—Verdugo in left with Judge in the middle and Soto in right—or asking Dominguez to return to the team and start in center with Aaron Judge in left and Juan Soto in right when the rehab assignment expires on June 4, according to Miller. “Projection: Dominguez is optioned until coming up in September, and Verdugo keeps his job.”
The New York Yankees May Postpone Jasson Dominguez’s Comeback, a Potential Slugger
During his brief season debut, Dominguez demonstrated a great deal of promise. In just 31 at-bats, he slashed.258/.303/.677, recording eight hits, four home runs, and seven RBI. However, he sustained an elbow injury just eight games into his Major League Baseball career, which required Tommy John surgery and has kept him out of commission ever since.
Last year, Matt Snyder of CBS Sports wrote that “Dominguez, 20, made MLB history by homering in four of his first seven games — becoming the youngest ever to do so.” “After signing with the Yankees for more than $5 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, Dominican Rodriguez has been one of the Yankees’ top prospects and one of the most hyped young players in professional baseball.”
Miller pointed out that the Yankees wouldn’t want to tamper with the success they’ve seen in the outfield and might instead prefer to give the young player some more experience in the minor leagues as long as their current outfield is producing, despite the excitement surrounding his return and the potential boost he could bring to the batting order.
“The Yankees are happy with Verdugo’s play, who has been a good defender and offensive contributor, and he brings more energy to the dugout and clubhouse than anyone since Luke Voit,” he continued. “Optionining Dominguez is a possibility.” “However, despite Dominguez’s incredible debut in September of last year prior to his abrupt elbow injury that ended the season, he only has 17 games above Double-A experience—nine with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and eight with the Yankees.”
