The Times-Tribune’s annual countdown of the top 10 Yankees prospects is back. Here’s what happens: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders beat writer Conor Foley ranks 15 prospects, Donnie Collins ranks 15 prospects, and then they’re averaged together. The list takes into account ETA for the big leagues. You’re going to find some guys who might not have ceilings as high as others, but who instead could be in a position to help the Yankees sooner.
Can you get more hype than Jasson Dominguez has right now? Scouting reports on the Dominican teenager border on the unfair in terms of Trout-like expectations with which he’s being tagged. He can hit. He’s got power. He’s got speed. He can field. He can throw. He’s a switch hitter. All of that, and he just turned 18 in February. The Yankees placed a $5.1 million bet (his signing bonus in 2019) that he’s going to reach that potential.
The basics
Position: OF
B/T: S/R
Age: 18
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 190
40-man? No
Acquired: Signed with the Yankees on July 2, 2019 as a non-drafted free agent out of Dominican Republic.
SWB ETA: 2024
What about last year?
Didn’t play, outside of minor league spring training. In fact, we’re still waiting for Dominguez to make his minor league debut. Will be interesting to watch how quickly the Yankees push him through the system, but it’s likely he’s still a couple years away from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But even if it takes him, say, three years to get through the minors, he’d break into the bigs as a 21-year-old.
Tell me something
Here are parts of some scouting reports from national outlets:
- MLB Pipeline: “…. Dominguez not only has the potential for well above-average tools across the board, but he also has the advanced instincts and skills to get the most of them. A switch-hitter, he exhibits a smooth stroke, tremendous bat speed and strength from both sides of the plate. With precocious feel for the barrel and a mature, disciplined approach, he should hit for power and average. … “
- Fangraphs: “… He’s the highest-variance prospect in baseball, and maybe the highest-variance athlete in sports. …”
Photo: New York Yankees
Conor Foley goes beyond the box score with in-depth coverage of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. He has worked at The Times-Tribune since graduating from University of Scranton in 2011, and he has covered the RailRiders since 2017. Contact: cfoley@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; or @railridersTT
