Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez got his first look at professional baseball at the ripe age of 18 last season. And he immediately had the spotlight on him due to the comparisons that almost every Yankee fan has seen by now — you know, the Mickey Mantle-Mike Trout situation?
But it might have been a breath of fresh air for “The Martian,” as he struggled a bit and looked human compared to what experts and scouts have said about him. However, that’s expected from someone just getting started in his major league journey, not to mention having to wait a year due to COVID shutting down the minor leagues in 2020.
Dominguez, though, is at Yankees camp right now and gearing up for a bounce back year. He’s seen what he’s needed to see, and is ready to make adjustments.
“I try to be more simple,” Dominguez told reporters on Wednesday regarding his swing. “Last year, I had a lot of movement in my mechanics. This year, I wanna be more simple.”
And what does the No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, have to say about those lofty player comps that scouts have put on him?
“He feels really good to be compared to some of those guys,” Dominguez said through a translator. “Obviously he would like to be as good or even better than some of them. But he also understands it’s a long road until he can get to that point.”
The journey, taking things one day at a time, should be the goal for Dominguez every year. To get to where he wants to go, not trying to take shortcuts and jump ahead will do him well.
As for this year, though, what exactly does he have in mind goal wise?
“My goal this year is to stay healthy. I know that if I’m healthy, the other things, I can control that,” he said.