The New York Yankees surprised their fanbase when they decided not to make top prospect Jasson Dominguez one of their September callups. And some new opinions from MLB scouts who have watched him recently only make that decision look even more bizarre.
Entering the MLB games today, the Yankees own one of the best records in the American League. Unfortunately for the pinstripes, the Baltimore Orioles retook the top spot in the MLB standings this week. And it is the latest proof that New York will be in a bitter fight for the AL East division title until the final days of the season.
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The Yankees need all the help they can get to avoid ending up as a wild card team in what will be a very competitive AL playoff bracket. That is why September callups are so important. Bringing up some impactful rookies or veterans could be huge in winning a division race. And it is why the organization promoting No. 1 prospect Jasson Dominguez this week seemed like a no-brainer.
Dominguez has been the Yankees’ top prospect for the last two years and is among the top 20 overall in the league on MLB.com. Furthermore, before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023, the youngster showed the upside of his potential in eight games at the big league level. Yet, when the time came, the team shockingly passed on a chance to bring up the talented outfielder.
Jasson Dominguez stats (2024-Minors): .307 AVG, .369 OBP, .488 SLG, .857 OBP, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 34 R, 15 SB
MLB scouts say Jasson Dominguez is as ready as he’ll ever be for New York Yankees
New York decision-makers suggested not being able to get him opportunities every day was key in choosing to leave him in Triple-A. That is understandable, but recent reports from MLB scouts only add to fan frustration about not promoting an uber-talented player who is ready to make an impact right now.
“He was a different guy on the field than everybody else,” an AL scout who saw Dominguez play recently told the New York Post this week. “He looked like he was ready. I think in the Yankees lineup, he’s probably a six or seven-hole kind of guy right now. … He brings a lot of things to the table. I didn’t see anything that stood out that would say, ‘He needs more time here.’ ”
“He had pretty good at-bats, surprisingly his timing was good,” an NL scout also told the NYP. “He barreled up some balls really well from the left-handed side of the plate. I only saw one at-bat right-handed. But he looked fine in [batting practice]. Played solid in the outfield.”
Both scouts also said his arm strength and accuracy also looked back to his previous form following Tommy John surgery last year. The Yankees have suggested an eventual call up this month is still possible.