Jasson Dominguez and three more Yankees prospects that could be future stars
CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 25: New York Yankees Outfielder Jasson Dominguez (89) watches the flight of the ball as it clears the outfield fence for a home run during the spring training game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies on February 25, 2023 at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Credit: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images/Icon Sportswire
TAMPA, Fla. — As the 2023 minor-league season gets underway, one player’s progress will be closely monitored by Yankees fans more than any other: Jasson Dominguez — aka “The Martian.”
Dominguez dazzled the fan base — and the Yankees themselves — throughout spring training, allowing both groups to dream about what is to come and how soon that will be.
But there is more in the system than just Dominguez, and 2023 won’t be only about the players showing up on the various lists put out by publications specializing in minor-leaguers (Dominguez, obviously, is featured prominently on all of those lists). What follows is a list of players to watch this season in the Yankees’ system, some of whom are closer to the majors than others:
1. Jasson Dominguez, CF
Did you expect the list to start with anyone else? Dominguez, 20, came into his first big-league camp with no chance of making the roster, but the switch-hitting centerfielder made quite the impression before being sent to minor-league camp.
Dominguez went 10-for-22 (.455) with four homers, nine RBIs and a 1.565 OPS in 11 Grapefruit League games. He also looked the part in centerfield, though some talent evaluators believe Dominguez ultimately will end up in one of the corner outfield spots.
Regardless, Dominguez, who jumped three levels of the system in 2022 and ended the season with Double-A Somerset, more than put himself on the club’s radar.
Dominguez, who played all of five regular-season games with Somerset, likely will start 2023 there and, with a good start, should be bound for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before summer. An appearance in the Bronx as a September call-up is a distinct possibility.
“Last year from spring on, he just continued to get better and better all season long,” Aaron Boone said after Dominguez was sent to minor-league camp. “I think he’s obviously carried that into spring. Kind of showed all of us that reason to be excited about what his future is.”
Boone’s message to the prospect?
“[His] first big-league camp went really well, he fit in really well. He performed really well,” Boone said. “Now the work doesn’t end. Make sure your focus is going down there and getting after it and continue to get a little bit better at all the small things. We all believe he can be impactful up here. It’s just continuing to gain experience.”
2. Andres Chaparro, 1B/3B
You won’t find the righthanded-hitting Chaparro, 23, ranked terribly high on any “top prospects” lists, but make no mistake: The corner infielder is considered a legitimate prospect both inside and outside the Yankees’ organization.
Chaparro, an international signing out of Venezuela in 2015, has wowed talent evaluators with his bat at times during the last few years. His exit velocity on some balls coming off the bat has been in the neighborhood of 115 mph.
He started last season in rookie league ball and, by year’s end, was with Double-A Somerset, where he hit .289 with 19 homers and a .963 OPS in 64 games. He had a standout spring training offensively, hitting .321 (9-for-28) with four homers and a 1.174 OPS in 15 games. He is considered an average fielder at best, but Chaparro’s bat could put him on the periphery of the majors by season’s end, especially if the Yankees find themselves looking for some offensive pop.
3. Yoendrys Gomez, P
The 23-year-old, signed out of Venezuela in 2016, gets mentioned often by rival scouts. The righthander had command issues in 2022 after his season started late (in June) after he recovered from surgery to repair a torn UCL. But he finished strong with Double-A Somerset, going 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four starts. Gomez struck out 19 and walked six in 16 1⁄5 innings with Somerset and is likely to start there this season.
4. Spencer Jones, OF
The lefty-swinging Jones, the Yankees’ first-round pick last year (25th overall), drew immediate comparisons to Aaron Judge because of his size — 6-7, 225 pounds. In limited spring training, Jones, 21, raised some eyebrows with his performance in the field and at the plate (4-for-12 in seven games).
After signing last summer, Jones played only three games in rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League before being sent to Low-A Tampa in the Florida State League, where he hit .325 (27-for-83) with three homers and a .905 OPS in 22 games.
