Domínguez delivers first multihomer performance

This is what the Yankees and their fans signed up for when the team inked Jasson Domínguez to the richest international signing bonus in team history at $5.1 million in 2019.

"The Martian" lived up to the billing as he clubbed his first multihomer game as part of a four-knock effort with three RBIs and three runs scored in High-A Hudson Valley's 7-5 loss to Wilmington at Frawley Stadium on Saturday night. The switch-hitter connected on a home run from each side of the plate.

"There's always a bit of a curve when you come up, but as of late [Jasson] is just really comfortable in the batter's box," Hudson Valley hitting coach Rob Benjamin said. "He knows what he's looking for and he knows what the pitcher is trying to do to get him out and he's just not missing his pitches."

The second-ranked Yankees prospect has mashed three dingers over his past two games with six total hits, five RBIs and four runs scored. His four knocks on Saturday tied a season high that he set on Aug. 27 against Hickory. Domínguez has hit safely in his past four games and is sporting a .306/.397/.510 slash line 16 extra-base hits, 33 runs scored, 22 RBIs and is 17-for-18 in stolen base attempts over 40 games with the Renegades.

"He's just such a great kid, a phenomenal athlete, really just a fantastic human being, and what he's been doing lately is impressive," Benjamin said. "He's been really open to our discussions and having quality at-bats and making quality decisions, and he's just been really receptive in pre-game meetings and just really inquisitive, which is fantastic for a kid his age and shows a really advanced mindset and approach both in meetings and at the plate."

The 👽 has done it again!

He homers to right for his second of the game, and has now hit home runs as both a righty and a lefty tonight‼️

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) September 11, 2022

MLB's No. 42 overall prospect did not waste any time making his impact felt against the Blue Rocks, sending a slow grounder to third off of a 2-0 off-speed pitch from Wilmington starter Dustin Saenz and legging out an infield single in the opening frame.

Two innings later, Domínguez had those "out-of-this-world tools" on display for the 2,349 in attendance. The 19-year-old switch-hitter stepped in against Saenz again, and after working the count full against the lefty, the sixth pitch of the at-bat was a changeup that Domínguez muscled to left for his fifth roundtripper with the Renegades.

With two outs in the seventh, the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder faced righty Orlando Ribalta. After swinging through a first-pitch heater, Domínguez took a ball low to level the count. Ribalta tried to get the native of Esperanza, Dominican Republic, off balance with a changeup low in the zone again, but the pitch stayed up and Domínguez crushed it over the wall in right.

"That power is there, that's just natural ability. Both of those home runs came on off-speed and he was just able to stay behind the ball and drive them," Benjamin said. "But when he's swinging at pitches in his zone, that's when that raw power really comes to life. He can easily hit balls 105-110 mph and he's done a good job of doing that with us lately. Since he's been with us, he's really grown a lot and it's amazing to see."

That advanced approach came through in his final at-bat in the ninth. With a runner in scoring position and one out, and Hudson Valley trailing 7-3, Domínguez kept his club's hope alive with a single back up the middle into center field off of flamethrower Zack Burdi. Domínguez scampered home to score the Renegades' final run three batters later on a wild pitch by Burdi.

"The guy on the mound was throwing hard, 95-96 mph, and he actually beat [Jasson] a little bit on that pitch, but he's so strong that he was able to fight it off and get it into the outfield for a hit," Benjamin said. "After the game I told him, 'This is what happens when you're making quality decisions and have a good plan and good approach and stay committed to it.'"

Domínguez is slashing .280/.382/.465 with 15 homers, six triples, 23 doubles, 69 walks, 87 runs scored, 58 RBIs and 36 stolen bases in 115 total games across two levels of the Minors in his first full professional season.