Yankees’ top prospect Jasson Domínguez hits home run off Justin Verlander in MLB debut

The 2023 New York Yankees will go down as one of the worst teams in franchise history, so with September call-ups, the team decided to look to the future.

The Yankees called up 20-year-old outfielder Jasson Domínguez and 24-year-old catcher Austin Wells when rosters expanded Friday night, and they both had debuts to remember.

In their first MLB plate appearances, they both got hits. 

Domínguez, the team’s second-ranked prospect, welcomed himself to the big leagues with a bang.

The switch-hitting Domínguez was batting from the left side against future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander of the Astros in Houston.

Domínguez steered a pitch to the opposite field and into the Crawford Boxes on his very first swing in the major leagues.

The last Yankee to hit a home run in his first MLB plate appearance was Aaron Judge.

Domínguez, nicknamed “The Martian” for his out-of-this-world talent, was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 2019 for $5.1 million. He did not play minor league baseball until 2021 because the 2020 minor league season was canceled due to COVID-19.

The outfielder had an outside shot of making the club this year and was in Double-A just a couple of weeks ago. 

After being called up to Triple-A, he hit .419 in nine games. His early success, coupled with a lost season, prompted the Yankees to call him up.

Wells, the team’s eighth-rated prospect, was the Yankees’ first-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft. In 33 Triple-A games this year, he hit .254 with an .802 OPS. He singled in the second inning off Verlander.

The Yankees entered the game against their arch-nemesis at 65-69. Before this year, they had not been under .500 in the month of August since 1995.

If the top prospects live up to their billing, this season could be forgotten about sooner rather than later.