Yankees to start super prospect at Double-A

Initially signed as a 16-year-old amateur free agent in July 2019, Dominguez did not make his professional debut until the 2021 season thanks to the minor league season being canceled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. Dominguez has made up for the lost time, hitting a combined .266/.368/.435 with 21 home runs and 46 stolen bases over 177 games (just over a full season's worth) despite being on average three years younger than those he's playing against. 

He has twice been invited to play in the All-Star Futures Game. Four years in a row he has been named among the Top 100 prospects in baseball by both Baseball America and MLB.com. 

The Yankees have been cautiously aggressive with Dominguez's promotions. Last season began the year with Class-A Tampa but finished it in Somerset, joining the Patriots for five games and the postseason. Having him begin the year again at Double-A only seems logical. Where the team moves next, however, is going to be worth paying attention to. 

New York spent much of the offseason exploring options to address left field, particularly looking for a left-handed bat. Dominguez joined the team in Spring Training, primarily for the experience but also so that the team's front office could take a closer look. Dominguez did nothing but impress this spring, both in the field and at the plate, but promoting him straight to New York was never truly in the cards. He only turned 20 years old at the start of February and with only 22 plate appearances at Double-A that jump would be a challenging one. 

It is not out of the question, however, that Dominguez could see New York this season. If he produces throughout April and May, he could see a midseason bump to Triple-A Scranton. From there he's merely waiting on reps and an opportunity before "The Martian" is suiting up for the Yankees. 

Somerset begins their season Thursday, at home for three games against the Harrisburg Senators.