TAMPA, Fla. -- Jasson Domínguez said he “was kind of surprised” by his improved real estate as he surveyed locker assignments in the spring clubhouse, the Yankees top prospect’s belongings now wedged between those of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. His teammates recognized the upgrade, too.
“We were joking with him, like, ‘Hey, you’ve got two Rookies of the Year right next to you. This is going to be your year,’” Judge said. “You go out there and do your thing, something special is going to happen.”
Though “The Martian” enters the spring with an open lane to claim starting duties in the Bombers’ outfield, manager Aaron Boone said the organization wants to see the 21-year-old “earn” a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Domínguez made a good first impression on Monday, highlighting the Yankees’ first full-squad workout with a long home run off Carlos Rodón. As one of the most celebrated prospects in recent memory, Domínguez seems ready to embrace his opportunity.
“The pressure is there, but I feel like it’s a good thing to have, because it’s to get ready to be the player that everyone expects me to be,” Domínguez said.
That the homer came as a right-handed batter was notable for the switch-hitting Domínguez, who acknowledged he “felt lost” hitting from that side of the plate after returning from surgery to repair a damaged right ulnar collateral ligament.
Including the Majors and Minors, Domínguez hit .318 (69-for-217) against right-handed pitching last season, with 12 homers, 33 RBIs and 49 strikeouts. Lefties held Domínguez to a .185 (12-for-65) mark, with one homer, six RBIs and 20 strikeouts.
“There’s definitely adjustments that I had to make, and I was working on that this offseason,” Domínguez said. “This season is going to be better.”
Domínguez said there was never a point where he considered abandoning switch-hitting, as utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera has largely done. Boone said he expects Domínguez to be an impact player from both sides, blending power and selectivity.
“Again, he’s really young and he’s not real experienced,” Boone said. “Over time, I think he’s going to be a real factor from both sides of the plate. He’s probably further along right now left-handed; certainly, the results would suggest that. But it’s a pretty small sample for a young man.
“ … I think over time, we’ll look up and he’ll be a guy that’s still switch-hitting years from now, and a factor switch-hitting.”
The Yankees -- and their fans -- figure to be watching Domínguez’s defense closely this spring as well.
Shifted from his natural center field assignment into left field late in the Triple-A season, Domínguez was shaky in a September big league cameo; his misplays prompted the Yankees to start Alex Verdugo in left field throughout the postseason, prioritizing run prevention.
Domínguez made it into three postseason games as a pinch-runner, twice in the American League Championship Series against the Guardians and once in the World Series against the Dodgers. Otherwise, Domínguez was on the bench, which he accepted as a chance to learn.
“I think that time during the World Series was a good time for me to feel what it is like, the pressure at Yankee Stadium,” Domínguez said. “I never experienced something like that before. In the playoffs, you feel like everything matters.”
Domínguez has spent the better part of two weeks working with outfield coach Luis Rojas at the club’s Tampa complex, where he has been going through a gauntlet of drills -- slicing angles, navigating walls, diving, sliding, throwing to bases, and more.
“Ultimately, there’s a lane for him to take [a roster spot], and we know he’s got the talent to take it,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “It’s good to get him back out and running his reps. We’re looking forward to seeing the real quality player on both sides of the ball. We think he can help us, and he’s got an opportunity to prove that he can.”
Once Domínguez’s raw tools are refined, Judge said the Yankees will have “a definite five-tool player” at their disposal for years to come.
“He’s a guy that is dynamic on both sides; he’s a switch-hitter who can play good defense and run the bases well,” Judge said. “Coming out of this spring, [I hope he] has a healthy spring. I just want to see him continue to have great at-bats, work the count, do what he needs to do.
“This guy is going to play. He can go out there and have an incredible season for us.”