Having a nickname like “The Martian” could be easily misconstrued. Perhaps a moniker like that would be used on a person who is generally strange or exhibits odd behavior, and it is not meant to paint that person in a positive light. But Jasson Domínguez acquired this nickname as more of a compliment. Taken literally, a Martian is someone we’ve never seen before, someone not of this world. A name like that gets attached to you when you possess the kind of physical gifts Domínguez did at 16-years-old.
The scouting scale that runs from 20 to 80 is frequently used to describe the tools position players have. There are typically five tools: hitting, power, speed, throwing arm, and defense. The 20 at the bottom of the scale is just about irrelevant, because players with tools grading out that low aren’t prospects. The middle of the scale, or 50, is considered average, but average is good because it refers to the average ability of a major league player.
The top of the scale is reserved for elite abilities, and it should be used sparingly. When a player’s tools are described as “plus,” that means they would be graded at 60, or solidly above average, and “double plus” would then be graded at 70. Those grades can refer to the physical traits of amateurs and minor-leaguers that aren’t yet actualized into performance, so in a way they indicate potential, whereas for a player in the big leagues they point more toward what he is now. For instance, scouting grades on Aaron Judge would likely have him as a 60 hitter with 80 power, at least 60 defense with a 70 arm, and a 50 runner. That’s an MVP in the big leagues.
The reason I’m laying this out is to emphasize that the first reports of Jasson Domínguez out of the Dominican Republic described him as having 70-grade power, speed, defense, and arm to go with a 60 for hitting as a 16-year-old, switch-hitting center fielder. In other words, The Martian was born.
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 28, 2022JASSON DOMINGUEZ IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!
The Martian strikes again for his second home run and 5th RBI in the deciding game of the Eastern League Championship Series. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/q50Tmrv7Jr
(Video) JASSON DOMINGUEZ 2022 AA HIGHLIGHTS!!! ( Yankees #3 Prospect)
As fun as it is to dream about a player with that combination of physical traits, it creates unrealistic expectations. Throwing out the names of Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout can give us a sense of what a player with that set of physical tools might be, but they don’t help in the evaluation of a teenager who has never played a professional game. Before he played one inning, the hype about Domínguez was as great or greater than it has been for any player in the Yankees organization in the last four decades. Of course, it was fascinating to wonder how his tools would manifest themselves on the field, but since he signed a contract in July of 2019, we had to wait until 2020 to even read about him in a box score. Then the pandemic hit, and the wait continued.
Domínguez’s eagerly anticipated pro debut came on June 28, 2021 in the Florida Complex League. After seven unremarkable games, he was promoted to the Low-A Tampa Tarpons for his first taste of full-season baseball in the minor leagues. At 18-years-old, Domínguez was 3.4 years younger than the average player in his league, and he slashed .258/.346/.398 with five home runs in 49 games. Scouts who saw him criticized his body as being too bulky and doubted his future abilities. His double-plus grades dropped to average. Baseball America removed him from their list of the top 100 prospects in the game. It was a rough reception for a player who would have been playing his senior season in high school if he had been born in the United States.
Judging players you read about on the internet is tricky business. There are complicating factors to scouting reports. Some scouts are put off by players who are over-hyped and maybe grade them too harshly. Some reports come from evaluators who saw one or two games, and maybe they were the wrong games to see. Many reports leave out underlying information that would help put certain points into context.
Maybe Domínguez did get bulky before the 2021 season, but perhaps that was a product of the long layoff and a result of how hard he works in the weight room. Maybe that impacted his speed and throwing arm and took a toll on his defense, too. Dominguez was facing professional pitching for the first time, and, coming from the Dominican Republic, may not have played competitive baseball under lights at night before. He’s also a switch-hitter, which means he has two swings to develop instead of one. Yankee staff members expressed no disappointment with Domínguez in 2021, rather discussing his aptitude and work ethic and his high quality as a teammate and person.
We learned in 2021 that Domínguez was unlikely to be a transcendent player, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a very good player. His second season should absolutely have fans thinking along those lines. At 19-years-old, Domínguez put up a combined line of .273/.376/.461 at three different stops. He began the year in Low-A and finished it in Double-A. He hit 16 homers, scored 92 times, and stole 37 bases.
Though the public scouting reports didn’t update during the season, a trip to see Domínguez in-person showed speed that was obviously above average, an arm that played that way too, and legitimate power as the ball jumped off his bat from both sides of the plate. Beyond that, you saw a player who put together mature at-bats and made adjustments as the game progressed. A pitch he chased in his first at-bat was a take in his second. This calls to mind a story told by Will Warren, a top Yankee pitching prospect, in an interview with NJ.com. He remembered striking out Domínguez in spring training, only to see him hit the ball hard in his next at-bat and homer in his third. Coaches told him he made the mistake of not changing his sequence against Domínguez . As Warren recalls it, the coaches told him “Domínguez is not like a normal hitter. He’s going to remember that and he’s going to hit you.”
The scouting grades on Domínguez are ticking up again. He’s now talked about as an above-average hitter with plus power, who can stay in center field with plus speed and instincts and display an arm that would play in right. There is growing confidence that Domínguez is on track to being an everyday player in the big leagues, and stardom is still a possibility.
— Eli Fishman (@elijfishman) August 8, 2022Jasson Dominguez had a base hit and two stolen bases for @HVRenegades yesterday.
The Martian finished this week’s series at Jersey Shore 7-for-21 (.333) with three RBI’s. pic.twitter.com/RGqaejajPQ
Domínguez finished the 2022 season with a spectacular performance in the postseason for Somerset. He slashed .450/.560/.950 with three homers, 10 RBI, five walks, and seven runs scored in five games. In the championship-clinching game, Domínguez went 3-for-4, homered from each side of the plate, and drove in six runs. His postseason dominance notwithstanding, Domínguez played only ten games in Somerset, and it is likely he returns there for the 2023 season. He’ll play the year at 20-years-old, which will make him one of the youngest players in Double-A, and it will not be disappointing if he spends the whole season in Somerset. Double-A is considered a separator for players, and if Domínguez conquers that level this year you can start the countdown to when he appears in the Bronx, especially since he is likely to be added to the 40-man roster after this season.
There have been too many attempts to predict what Domínguez will be, and those predictions will inevitably continue this year, but in the meantime he is a gifted and fun player to watch, a legitimate big-league prospect, and someone fans should be glad is in the Yankees organization.
Other top prospects:
4. Austin Wells, C
5. Spencer Jones, OF
6. Everson Pereira, OF
7. Trey Sweeney, SS
8. Will Warren, RHP
9. Clayton Beeter, RHP
10. Jhony Brito, RHP
Bonus: Best of the Rest
FAQs
How good will Jasson Dominguez be? ›
Dominguez isn't a bust. He's a player who showed some holes in his game in his full-season debut in 2021 and, to his credit, improved almost every aspect of his game in 2022. Sent back to Low-A to start the year, he proved to be one of the best hitters in the Florida State League.
Who is Yankees best prospect? ›New York Yankees top prospects 2023: Anthony Volpe leads list; Jasson Domínguez at No. 3 - CBSSports.com.
Who will be top MLB prospects in 2023? ›- Gunnar Henderson (3B): Will win American League Rookie of the Year.
- Corbin Carroll (CF): Will lead the National League in stolen bases and triples.
- Anthony Volpe (SS): Will be the Yankees' starting shortstop in the second half.
...
- Starter: Gerrit Cole (35) No.
- Starter: Luis Severino (32) No.
- Starter: Nestor Cortes (31) No.
- Starter: Drew Thorpe (25) No.
- Starter: Will Warren (27)
- Batting AVG. H. BaderCF. .333.
- Home Runs. H. BaderCF. ...
- RBI. A. Rizzo1B. ...
- OBP. A. Rizzo1B. .432.
- Hits. H. BaderCF.
| Rank | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Álvarez | New York Mets |
| 2 | Diego Cartaya | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 3 | Henry Davis | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 4 | Kevin Parada | New York Mets |
- Dylan Crews, OF, LSU.
- Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee.
- Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida.
- Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU.
- Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi.
- Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) HS.
- Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick (N.C.) HS.
- Enrique Bradfield, OF, Vanderbilt.
With Mantle and DiMaggio gone, the nonpareil Yogi Berra became the “Greatest Living Yankee.” The diminutive backstop, like Mantle before him, boasted an eyebrow-raising list of accomplishments: 10 World Series titles, 18 All-Star Games, three AL MVPs (with four other top-four finishes), and 59.7 bWAR in pinstripes.
Who is the best closer in baseball 2022? ›| MLB Closer Report - 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | TEAM | SV |
| Emmanuel Clase | Guardians | 42 |
| Kenley Jansen | Braves | 41 |
| Liam Hendriks | White Sox | 37 |
Who is the #1 prospect in baseball 2023? ›
1 overall prospect Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles.
Who is the next closest MLB player to 3000 hits? ›2. No current player is that close. The active player closest to 3,000 hits is New York Mets infielder Robinson Cano, who has 2,631. But he is 39 years old, was suspended for all of the 2021 season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, and seems to be at the end of his career.
Who is the best hitter on the Yankees? ›Not only was Ruth the greatest baseball player of all time, but he was the most important one too.
Who is the hottest baseball rookie this year? ›- Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners. He just keeps doing it. ...
- Spencer Strider, RHP, Braves. ...
- Michael Harris II, OF, Braves. ...
- Adley Rutschman, C, Orioles. ...
- Shane Baz, RHP, Rays. ...
- Félix Bautista, RHP, Orioles. ...
- George Kirby, RHP, Mariners. ...
- Max Castillo, RHP, Blue Jays (unranked)
- Travis Sykora, RHP, Round Rock HS (Texas) The top arm in the class, Sykora is a 6-foot-5 right-hander with stuff to match his size. ...
- Aidan Miller, 3B, JW Mitchell HS (Fla.) ...
- Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy (Mass.) ...
- Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B, Monsignor Bonner HS (Pa.)
1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees. Aaron Judge: Come for the home-run record; stay for the possible batting title. He has been hitting well all season long, but he was on a completely different level from Sept.
Who hit the most home runs as a Yankee? ›The New York Yankees player that has scored the greatest number of home runs throughout their career as of October 2022 was Babe Ruth with 659 home runs. This is followed by Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig with 493 home runs and 493 home runs respectively.
Who is the only Yankee to hit four home runs in a game? ›
Gehrig was the first AL player and the first in the modern era to hit four homers in a single contest during the Yankees' 20-13 win over the Athletics at Shibe Park. Gehrig hit another rocket in the ninth inning that flew to deep center field but was caught short of the wall.
Who is the best stealer in baseball? ›Rickey Henderson is the all-time stolen bases leader, stealing 1,406 bases over the course of his 25-year career.
Who is the most famous catcher in baseball? ›1. Yogi Berra- Good luck trying to dispute this one: he won three MVP awards (1951, 1954 and 1955), made 15 All-Star game appearances, caught Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series and boasts an unprecedented 10 World Series rings.
Is catching harder than pitching? ›But the catcher has the most responsibility of any player on the field, eclipsing even that of the pitcher. Being a catcher is the hardest job in baseball. Right now, if you're able, get into a crouching position. It's not very comfortable, is it?
Who is the best draft prospect? ›1. QB Bryce Young, Alabama.
Who is the top prospect in the 2022 MLB? ›Gunnar Henderson, SS/3B (No. 1, MLB No.
Who is #1 prospect MLB Draft? ›| Rank | Player | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Crews | OF |
| 2 | Chase Dollander | RHP |
| 3 | Wyatt Langford | OF |
| 4 | Paul Skenes | RHP |
1) Lou Gehrig, 1923-39
340 with 493 home runs, two Most Valuable Player Awards (1927, '36) and the 1934 Triple Crown. Gehrig was honored at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, when he delivered his famous “Luckiest Man” speech.
| Team | GREATEST LIVING HITTER | GREATEST LIVING PITCHER |
|---|---|---|
| Braves | Hank Aaron | Phil Niekro |
| Brewers | Robin Yount | Teddy Higuera |
| Cardinals | Albert Pujols | Bob Gibson |
| Cubs | Ryne Sandberg | Fergie Jenkins |
People, Locations, Episodes
On this date in 1955, Elston Howard became the first Black man to play for the New York Yankees baseball team. He played catcher and won the American League MVP award leading the team in batting (. 348) in 1961. To become a Professional Athlete.
Who has the lowest era by a closer? ›
The most recent ERA champions are Justin Verlander in the American League and Julio Urías in the National League. The lowest single-season ERA in league history was posted by Tim Keefe, whose 0.86 ERA in 105 innings pitched for the National League's Troy Trojans in 1880 led his closest competitor by . 52 runs.
Who is the fastest pitcher in MLB The Show 2022? ›Helsley brought the heat in San Diego and registered the fastest pitch in the majors so far this season. SAN DIEGO — Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley set a new standard for throwing heat in 2022 against the Padres on Thursday.
Who is the best baseball player in the Class of 2024? ›- Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team.
- Arch Manning Isidore Newman (New Orleans, LA) ...
- Nico Iamaleava Warren (Downey, CA) ...
- Keon Keeley Berkeley Prep (Tampa, FL) ...
- Dante Moore Martin Luther King (Detroit, MI) ...
- Kadyn Proctor Southeast Polk (Des Moines, IA) ...
- Francis Mauigoa IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
Tony Gwynn was the fastest player in National League history to hit the 3,000 mark; he reached the mark in his 2,284th game.
Who is the closest to 500 home runs? ›| Player | Current HR | 500 HR% |
|---|---|---|
| Giancarlo Stanton | 334 | 26% |
| Bryce Harper | 255 | 26% |
| Rafael Devers | 103 | 22% |
| Manny Machado | 245 | 14% |
On Sept. 23, as Pujols neared the end of his illustrious 22-year career, he joined the most exclusive home run club in baseball history. Of the more than 20,000 players who have participated in an MLB game, Pujols joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as one of only four AL/NL players to have reached 700 homers.
Who is the oldest Yankee player? ›- Left Field: Enos Slaughter (43 years, 128 days) ...
- Center Field: Ichiro Suzuki (40 years, 306 days) ...
- Right Field: Enos Slaughter (43 years, 129 days) ...
- Designated Hitter: Álex Rodríguez (41 years, 16 days)
Derek Jeter is the Yankees' all-time leader in hits, singles, doubles, and stolen bases.
Who has the most triples in Yankees history? ›
Joe DiMaggio (131 triples as a Yankee) — CF
DiMaggio led baseball with 15 triples as a rookie, and racked up double-digit three-baggers in eight different seasons.
...
2023 Starting Pitcher Rankings – October.
| RK | PITCHER | TM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corbin Burnes | MIL |
| 2 | Shane McClanahan | TBR |
| 3 | Gerrit Cole | NYY |
| 4 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL |
A three-time All-Star who led the American League in ERA twice, Luis Tiant threw six different pitches from three different arm angles, and he never had the exact same delivery for any of them.
Which team has the most top 100 prospects? ›The Orioles lead the way with eight representatives on the Top 100, tying for the highest amount on a preseason list with the Rays (2021) since the Padres set the “record” with 10 in 2019. Baltimore is the only team with two players in the Top 10 and three in the Top 12.
How much do Triple-A baseball players make? ›If called up to the majors, the minimum salary is $700,000 — which comes to $3,846 for each day in the big leagues. The minimum salary is $400 weekly at rookie level, $500 at Class A, $600 at Double-A and $700 at Triple-A.
What is Yankees biggest rivalry? ›The Yankees–Red Sox rivalry is one of the oldest, most famous and fiercest rivalries in American sports. For more than 100 years, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have been intense rivals. The rivalry is often a heated subject of conversation in the Northeastern United States.
Who are the Yankees 5 starters? ›| Starter | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|
| DJ LeMahieu | Josh Donaldson | Oswald Peraza |
| Oswald Peraza | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | Oswaldo Cabrera |
| Oswaldo Cabrera | Giancarlo Stanton | Aaron Hicks |
| Harrison Bader | Aaron Hicks | Aaron Judge |
- Termarr Johnson – 2B/SS – Pirates. Viewed by many as the best prep bat in his class, the Pirates were ecstatic to snag Johnson with the fourth overall pick given some of the first overall pick buzz he started to get. ...
- Elijah Green – OF – Nationals. ...
- Mikey Romero – SS/2B – Red Sox. ...
- Kevin Parada – C – Mets.
The Brewers were the only team in baseball in 2022 with three pitchers to throw at least 100 innings with a K/9 of at least 10 (Burnes, Woodruff and Ashby).
Who is Mets best prospect? ›- Catcher: Francisco Alvarez (24)
- First Base: Pete Alonso (31)
- Second Base: Jett Williams (22)
- Third Base: Mark Vientos (26)
- Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (32)
- Left Field: Brett Baty (26)
- Center Field: Alex Ramirez (23)
- Designated Hitter: Kevin Parada (24)
Who is the Dodgers number one prospect? ›
| Prospect | Pos | Baseball Prospectus |
|---|---|---|
| Prospect | Pos | Baseball Prospectus |
| Miguel Vargas | 3B | 1 |
| Michael Busch | 2B | 6 |
| Andy Pages | OF | 4 |
All 2022 Bowman Baseball Cards
There are currently 7600 cards with different grading companies and grades of 2022 Bowman in our database. The most valuable card of 2022 Bowman is currently 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autographs Green Refractor #CPA-DHR Dustin Harris /99 with a worth of approx. $150.00.
- 2003 Bowman Chrome LEBRON JAMES Rookie #123 PSA 9 MINT RC. ...
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- 2022 BOWMAN CHROME ROOKIE CARD OF WANDER FRANCO RC #10 PSA 10 GEM MINT.
While San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader took home the honors last year, New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz was ranked No. 1 by The Shredder for 2023. Cleveland Guardians superb arm Emmanual Clase was ranked second and third place went to Devin Williams (Milwaukee Brewers).
Who is the best pitch framer in MLB? ›Raleigh rates as one of the top pitch framers in MLB in 2022, so this seemed like a good time to look at the leaderboard for that stat. MLB's best pitch-framer this season, in the aggregate, is Yankees catcher Jose Trevino.
Who is statistically the best pitcher? ›1. Tom Seaver. The Franchise, Seaver was not only the best Mets pitcher ever but one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball. Seaver won three Cy Young awards with the Mets (1969, 1973, and 1975), and helped lead New York to the World Series title in 1969 and within a game of a second World Series title in 1973 ...
Who is Mets biggest rival? ›The Mets–Phillies rivalry or Battle of the Broads is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Both clubs are members of MLB's National League (NL) East division. The rivalry between the two clubs is said to be among the most fiercely contested in the NL.
Who is #1 prospect MLB draft? ›| Rank | Player | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Crews | OF |
| 2 | Chase Dollander | RHP |
| 3 | Wyatt Langford | OF |
| 4 | Paul Skenes | RHP |
Who is the best Dodger of all time? ›
Sandy Koufax is the greatest Los Angeles Dodgers player of all time. The superstar pitcher played for the Dodgers from 1955 to 1966 and, in that time, racked up seven all-star selections, 4 World Series titles, and 3 Cy Young awards.
Who is the best Dodger pitcher of all time? ›