ESPN News Services September 1, 2023, 9:47pm ET6 minutes read
In the first MLB at-bat, Jason Dominguez hits a home run off Justin Verlander
Top Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez makes a splash in his MLB debut, hitting Justin Verlander deep for a home run in his first-ever at-bat.
HOUSTON – New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone vividly remembers the poise and confidence 16-year-old Jasson Domínguez displayed as he watched him take batting practice at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic in 2019.
“That’s when he caught your attention,” Boone said. “It was like it was a 16-year-old kid [and] You see the skills right in front of you. He had such an easy smile on his face and handled himself really well.”
Domínguez wowed everyone on Friday night when he hit a two-run home run against Houston ace Justin Verlander in his first major league at-bat.
“That’s pretty impressive,” Boone said. “It’s a way to announce your presence with authority.”
At just 20 years and 206 days, Domínguez became the youngest Yankees player to hit a home run in his first career game. He became the first Yankees player since Aaron Judge on August 13, 2016 to reach deep in his first big league at-bat.
Additionally, according to ESPN Stats & Information, it was only the second time a player hit a reigning Cy Young Award winner with a home run in his first at-bat. The other was Marcus Thames – also for the Yankees – on June 10, 2002, off Randy Johnson.
After Domínguez hit his home run across the opposing field to the short porch in the left corner of a three-time Cy Young Award winner twice his age, television cameras panned to his family, who were screaming and jumping around as they watched had the ball leave the field for a three-and-0 lead in the first inning.
“I knew there would be a lot of different feelings when I finally stepped on the field,” Domínguez said. “I mentioned that my dream was coming true right in front of my eyes and I was able to hit it there and it ended up being a home run. The thoughts are running through my head.”
He finished the game 1-4 as the Yankees won 6-2.
Four years after Boone watched him take batting practice as a teenager, the highly touted prospect was a big hit in his big league debut. The switch-hitting outfielder and another promising youngster, catcher Austin Wells, were called up from the minors by the last-place Yankees when rosters were expanded on Friday.
“Everyone is excited for her and excited to see her,” Boone said before the game. “Both [are] talented guys who have earned this opportunity and I look forward to watching them spread their wings, develop and hopefully see some good things.”
Domínguez is expected to become the team’s everyday center fielder after the Cincinnati Reds’ Harrison Bader was claimed off waivers, and Boone said Wells will also play a lot in the final month of the season. They were both on the starting grid Friday night, with Domínguez finishing fifth and Wells seventh.
“When I heard the news, it was a special moment,” Domínguez said in Spanish through a translator. “Just being here, I’m very excited. I’m happy to be here today and it’s a special day.”
Wells is valued more for his bat than his defense, but he hopes to show he can be a valuable contributor in both areas in the majors.
“I’m here too to do that and play and help the team win,” he said before the game. “So that’s my goal and if I can achieve it in any way, I will do it in any way.”
Expectations were high for Domínguez, as he received a $5.1 million bonus when he signed with the Yankees. His unique combination of strength and speed at such a young age earned him a memorable nickname: The Martian.
But he said he doesn’t feel any added pressure from it.
“I didn’t really pay much attention to all of it, all of the comments and all of the information about me,” he said. “I’m not on social media much. I don’t read many of the different articles that are written. I just try to focus on what I can do and try to play my game and improve myself so I can accomplish everything. “I expect myself to be the best that I can be.
Domínguez was the youngest player to appear in a game for the Yankees since 19-year-old pitcher José Rijo in July 1984 – and the youngest position player since 20-year-old outfielder Stan Javier in April 1984.
Boone is certainly aware of the expectations people have for Domínguez and believes he will live up to them.
“I think he’s going to be a really good player,” Boone said. “I really do. [He’s] not a finished product. And we will see how his journey goes. He’s obviously a very young man, super talented. I think when we look up in a few years, we’re going to see a really good player in front of us, and he can start writing that script starting today, at least in the big leagues.
Domínguez joined the team after playing just nine games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He hit .419 with two doubles and 10 RBI there after hitting .254 with 15 home runs and 66 RBI in 109 games for Double-A Somerset.
The 24-year-old Wells hit .254 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 33 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was a first-round draft pick from Arizona in 2020.
Domínguez had a number of friends and family members in Houston for Friday night’s game, including his mother, father, aunts and uncles.
He said he always dreamed of playing in the majors, but he tries to focus on the present instead of worrying too much about the future.
“I’m very focused on my day-to-day life and what I need to do to continue improving or if I need to improve a particular skill,” he said. “So I try to keep it really simple. But now we’re here in the big leagues and now I have a chance to experience some of the league and try to continue to learn from it.”
Meanwhile, the judge also took part in the proceedings.
He became the fastest player in major league history to reach 250 home runs with a solo shot against Verlander in the fifth inning.
Judge reached the milestone in his 810th career game, defeating Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard, who did it in his 855th game in 2010.
The Associated Press contributed to this report