Yankees’ Late-Season Youth Movement Continues With Jasson Domínguez, Austin Wells Headed to The Show
Amidst a disappointing 2023 season, the New York Yankees are inching toward a playoff-less October for the first time since 2016, forcing the franchise to insert some much-needed youth into its roster.
With little left to play for, general manager Brian Cashman is providing opportunities to many of the organization’s MLB-ready prospects down the stretch, which saw Everson Pereira – New York’s No. 3 top prospect, per MLB Pipeline – and Oswald Peraza promoted last week.
And now, as big-league rosters expand to 28 players on Friday, the Yankees are expected to call up another pair of top prospects: outfielder Jasson Domínguez and catcher Austin Wells.
Neither Domínguez nor Wells are currently on New York’s 40-man roster, which must change for both to be eligible for Friday’s series opener versus the Houston Astros. But that shouldn’t be an issue, as two open spots were created by releasing Josh Donaldson and Spencer Howard.
The Yankees will also likely have a vacancy in the outfield after Thursday, with Harrison Bader – a free agent after this season – expected to be claimed off waivers by a playoff contender.
Domínguez, the franchise’s No. 2 top prospect, has garnered waves of attention since signing as an international free agent in 2019. While there wasn’t anything special about his professional debut a few years ago, he has since terrorized each level of the minors.
This season, the 20-year-old returned to Double-A after appearing in just five games during the previous campaign, blasting 15 home runs and 66 RBIs over 109 contests. He also hit .254/.367/.414 and earned a 117 wRC+.
“The Martian” struck out (25.6%) a tad more than the Yankees’ front office probably would’ve liked, but his impressive walk rate (15.2%) helped offset it. On the basepaths, he was successful in 37 of his 44 stolen base attempts.
That effectiveness earned the switch-hitting slugger a promotion to Triple-A earlier this month, during which he went 12-for-27 (.444) with two doubles, one triple, 10 RBIs and a 187 wRC+ in eight contests. He also swiped a pair of bases in three attempts.
Most scouts appear undecided on Domínguez’s future in centre field, where he’s logged a combined 536.1 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A this season. But for now, he’ll probably earn most of his reps at that position following Bader’s likely departure.
Wells, the Yankees’ No. 8 top prospect, was a first-round selection in 2020 and has steadily climbed through the minor-league ranks over the last three seasons.
The 24-year-old catcher opened the year at Low-A before repeating Double-A for a second consecutive campaign, where he slashed .237/.327/.443 with 11 home runs, 50 RBIs and a 107 wRC+ over 58 games. He also posted a 22.8% strikeout rate along with an 11% walk rate.
After moving to Triple-A in July, Wells produced five round-trippers, 20 RBIs, a .262/.355/.467 slash line and a 104 wRC+ in 32 contests. The left-hander struck out (23.4%) slightly more while walking (10.6%) less than his Double-A stint.
With Jose Trevino out for the year due to wrist surgery, the Yankees could shift to a catching trio over the final month, with Wells joining Kyle Higashioka and Ben Rortvedt.
It’s not the ending that most had envisioned, but it’ll serve as a glimpse into the future for an organization looking to reset in 2024.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
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