Poised Jasson Dominguez ready for his Yankees Stadium debut

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After taking off quickly in his first series as a big-leaguer, the man dubbed The Martian is ready to land in The Bronx.

“I think it’s going to be big-time,” Jasson Dominguez said of his highly anticipated Yankee Stadium debut, which will come on Tuesday night against the Tigers. “It’s going to be awesome.”

If his first three games this weekend were any indication, the moment won’t be too big for the 20-year-old center fielder.

Dominguez lived up to the lofty expectations that preceded him during the Yankees’ sweep of the Astros, crushing a pair of home runs while recording a hit in all three games.

While getting some early results is always important to making any rookie feel a little more settled in the major leagues, the Yankees were equally impressed by how he made it look.

“He’s comfortable,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday night before the Yankees flew home after a 10-game road trip. “When he goes up to the plate, there’s not a lot of anxiety. He plays the game with ease. Obviously the skill set jumps off the page at you.”


Jasson Dominguez hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Jasson Dominguez hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

The arrival of Dominguez and catcher Austin Wells has delivered a spark for a team that was in need of one entering a September that is expected to be more about the future than any kind of playoff chase.

The Yankees returned home having won six of seven games to pull themselves back within one game of .500, with a noticeably looser clubhouse of late.

And while using a lineup that regularly features five rookies will not always go as smoothly as it did this weekend, the Yankees are content to ride the high of their injection of youth and athleticism, however long it lasts.

“Look, with all these guys, we’re going to see bumps and growing pains along the way,” Boone said. “But to come in here against a really good team and a great environment and have them handle themselves the way they have is really encouraging.”

The Yankees have tried to make Dominguez and Wells feel as comfortable as possible in the clubhouse during their first days as big-leaguers, but both arrived with an innate, quiet confidence as well.

While Wells has shown it in his work behind the plate, Dominguez’s has been obvious when he steps into the batter’s box.

“[Hitting coach] Sean Casey talks a lot about slowing things down, letting go of anxiety when you’re at the plate,” Boone said. “Anxiety is your enemy as a hitter. [Dominguez] is the opposite of that. He goes up there real cool, calm and collected with a grin on his face and there’s no tension in what he’s doing. You sense that. That’s what you watch when he plays the game: that lack of tension. It allows him to be free and easy.”


Jasson Dominguez catches a fly ball hit by Houston Astros' Jake Meyers during the second inning.
Jasson Dominguez catches a fly ball hit by Houston Astros’ Jake Meyers during the second inning.
AP

Dominguez, who was feeling comfortable enough to conduct his postgame interview with reporters Sunday night in English (his second language), said the only at-bat in which he felt any kind of anxiety this weekend was his first — which ended in a home run off Justin Verlander.

“Then after that, same baseball,” he said.

While Dominguez’s initial feats on the field were certainly impressive, his veteran teammates took note of his poise as well.

“You come up as a top prospect, you think of a guy that could easily have a big ego and think that they’re the best,” Michael King said. “He comes up and he’s very humble, he’s very quiet. Honestly being a very good rookie. Then when he goes out there and produces, it just makes you love him even more. So I’m just excited to see his career play out.”

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