1 week Ago
NEW YORK — Jasson Domínguez had no time to think. The New York Yankees left fielder immediately turned and started running. By the time he reached the dirt of the warning track, he jumped off his right foot, outstretched his glove and snagged the line drive.
As he downshifted into the wall, he looked into his purple mitt. Yes, the ball was there. Yes, he had just made a catch that maybe he would have botched in September.
Advertisement From the mound, starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco pounded his glove with his fist four times. “Oh, my God,” Carrasco said. “He made a great play.
” For once, Domínguez’s defense was a primary storyline in a good way for the Yankees, who beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 Monday night at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees also received solo home runs from Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, Austin Wells and Ben Rice off starting pitcher Seth Lugo (1-2, 3.
86 ERA). Carrasco (2-1, 5.94 ERA) gave up just one run on a solo homer over five innings.
Devin Williams recorded his second Yankees save. Domínguez went 0-for-2 with a walk, but he was busy and appeared comfortable making six catches in left field. Perhaps the best play of the 22-year-old rookie’s career came in the fourth inning when he snared catcher Salvador Perez’s line drive for the first out.
Perez hit the ball 106.4 mph. Nice snag by the 👽 #YANKSonYES pic.
twitter.com/7Urv8t0con — YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 15, 2025 Domínguez’s leap looked a bit awkward, but he sprinted to the right place at the right time, and that was an improvement after he looked shaky at the position in spring training and played so poorly there last season that he couldn’t unseat the struggling Alex Verdugo in September. Domínguez, a natural center fielder, has spent time before just about every game working with third-base coach and outfield coordinator Luis Rojas on the intricacies of the position.
The Yankees have maintained that Domínguez’s speed and athleticism will turn him into an above-average left fielder someday. He showed flashes of it Monday. Another highlight: when Domínguez went over his left shoulder to chase down a liner at the warning track from Jonathan India for the first out in the sixth inning with the Yankees ahead three runs.
Advertisement “He keeps getting better,” manager Aaron Boone said. “What I like is the ease in the routes and the ease that he’s getting to those balls. Even since the start of the season, I feel like that’s where he’s grown.
The right footwork. The right move to the ball. And that’s where you’re going to start to see his range with his feet show up.
Really pleased with his strides out there. Just got to keep at it.” Is Domínguez perhaps starting to react rather than overthink in left field? “Yeah,” Boone said.
“I think that’s only natural. He’s worked his butt off here for over two months now every day, just reps out there. I think there’s no greater teacher than experience, and he’s done a lot of work out there, a lot of reps, a lot of innings.
I’ve maintained with you guys the whole time, he’s going to get, I think, really good out there. That’s my expectation for him. As he continues to gain experience, we’re seeing him get better.
” Chisholm can relate to Domínguez’s struggles. In 2023, the Miami Marlins moved him from second base to center field. “The biggest challenge to me is knowing your angles,” Chisholm said, “knowing how hard the ball is hit, seeing how hard the ball is hit.
You hear the crack of the bat and you might think it’s hit 110 mph, and it’s hit 86 mph. Just making that adjustment and always being ready out there. That and the first step.
” Domínguez laughed when asked about his impressive catch on Perez. He said that it was “tough,” but that he felt like he read it well. After he threw the ball back into the infield, he felt like his work before games and in spring training was starting to pay off.
A few times, he returned to the dugout after an inning, and his teammates lined up to congratulate him on making solid plays. “Oh, for sure, they were more happy than me,” Domínguez said. Advertisement But the Yankees understand their best outfield defense is with Domínguez on the bench.
Before the eighth inning, Domínguez was pulled from the game. Cody Bellinger took over for him. Going into Monday, Domínguez’s minus-1 outs above average placed him in just the 18th percentile of big-league outfielders.
“I feel like deep down he knows he’s going to be really good out there,” Boone said. “It’s just still a little bit new.” (Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images.
