The man known as The Martian took off in his debut series in the majors and is now preparing to touch down in the Bronx.
On Tuesday night against the Tigers, Jasson Dominguez will make his much awaited debut at Yankee Stadium. “I think it’s going to be big-time,” he said. As the saying goes, “It’s going to be awesome.”
If his first three games this weekend provide any indication, the 20-year-old center fielder won’t be intimidated by the big stage.
The Yankees swept the Astros, and Dominguez was a big reason why. He blasted a pair of home runs and reached base safely in all three games.
Even though early success is crucial for any rookie’s adjustment to the majors, the Yankees were also impressed by how easy he made it look.
“He’s comfortable,” manager Aaron Boone said of his starting pitcher Sunday night, just before the Yankees boarded the plane heading home following a 10-game road trip. There’s not a lot of nervousness when he steps to the plate. He’s very good at the game. The collection of skills is so obvious that it practically leaps off the page.
As the team headed into September, which is believed to be more about the future than any kind of postseason chase, the additions of Dominguez and catcher Austin Wells provided the spark they needed.
With a significantly more relaxed clubhouse as of late, the Yankees went home having won six of seven games to pull themselves within one game of.500.
The Yankees are happy to bask in the glow of their youthful and athletic injection for as long as it lasts, despite the fact that deploying a lineup that routinely comprises five rookies will not always go as smoothly as it did this weekend.
It’s inevitable that there would be some growing pains with this many guys, Boone admitted. But to see how they’ve handled themselves in this terrific environment against a really excellent squad is encouraging.
While the Yankees have done their best to make Dominguez and Wells feel at home in the clubhouse, they have also arrived with a quiet confidence of their own.
Dominguez’s has been more noticeable at the plate, while Wells has demonstrated it behind the plate.
For example, “[Hitting Coach] Sean Casey talks a lot about slowing things down, letting go of anxiety when you’re at the plate,” Boone said. As a batter, anxiety is your worst enemy. Dominick is the antithesis of that. With a relaxed demeanor and a broad grin on his face, he approaches the stage with ease. You can feel it. When he plays, all you can do is watch him relax and enjoy the game. He can relax and enjoy himself because of it.
Dominguez, who felt confident enough to speak to the media after the game on Sunday night in English (his second language), claimed his only nervous at-bat this weekend was the one that resulted in a home run against Justin Verlander.
“Then after that, same baseball,” he affirmed.Dominguez’s first on-field accomplishments were spectacular, but his veteran colleagues also noted his composure.
Michael King put it like way: “You come up as a top prоspect, and you picture a guy who might have a big ego and think that he’s the best.” When he first approaches, he displays extreme modesty and silence. Being a really capable newcomer. Then, when he goes out there and delivers, your admiration for him grows exponentially. I look forward to watching the rest of his career unfold.