‘Most Hyped International Amateur Prospect Ever’ Is New York Yankees Top Power Threat

A New York Yankees star prospect has a lot of hype to live up to in the Major Leagues.

Feb 26, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) hits a RBI single in the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Back in 2019, the New York Yankees made a huge splash on the international free agent market, signing a young outfielder named Jasson Dominiguez.

It cost an eye-popping $5.1 million to land him out of the Dominican Republic and expectations have been sky high ever since. “The most hyped international amateur prospect ever,” is how he was described in a recent piece over at MLB.com.

That is a lot of pressure for any player to live up to, especially for a player who has been amongst the top 100 prospects annually since 2020.

He is going to lose his prospect status during the 2025 campaign, as he is set to take over as the starting left fielder for the Yankees in place of Alex Verdugo. 

Dominguez is one of the players whom the team will be counting on to help replace the production lost with Juan Soto signing with the New York Mets in free agency.

Those are some massive shoes to fill, as he is an MVP-caliber player.

At the very least, what Dominguez should be able to replicate offensively is the power output that Soto provided. He was selected by Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com as New York’s top power hitting prospect heading into the year and it is hard to argue against that.

He hasn’t had an extended chance to showcase his skills at the Major League level yet, but the raw power is visible. His bat speed is excellent and his strength is unmatched by any prospect in the team’s organization.

The ball has been hit hard with regularity, as his 89.6 mph average exit velocity and 50.8% hard-hit rate are both above league average.

Dominguez has had only 100 plate appearances with the Yankees but has already hit six home runs. That is with ground ball and fly ball rates being in the wrong direction compared to the league averages.

Once he starts getting the ball into the air with more consistency, his power numbers are going to be even more impressive.

While the power potential is real, for Dominguez to lock down an everyday role in the lineup, he needs to improve defensively.

There have been too many videos and lowlights of him having miscues in the outfield, something the team cannot afford as defense was their biggest culprit in losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series last year.

Alas, if his power stroke shines through, it will be hard to keep him out of the lineup.