LOS ANGELES — The next time Jasson Dominguez takes the field, he will be wearing a new uniform.
But first, he made a splash at the MLB Futures Game.
Two days after learning he was being promoted from Low-A Tampa to High-A Hudson Valley, the Yankees’ outfield prospect crushed a two-run homer off Giants left-handed prospect Kyle Harrison on Saturday in the AL’s 6-4 win over the NL at Dodger Stadium.
The homer came a half-inning after Dominguez dropped a fly ball in deep center field for a two-run error. The 19-year-old found instant redemption with his 415-foot shot off Harrison.
“In my mind, I said, ‘Everybody forget this error,’ ” Dominguez said with a grin. “I felt really good. I feel like, that fly ball? No one’s remembering that.”
Shortly before the game, the Yankees announced Dominguez’s promotion — which will take effect following the All-Star break — providing him a new challenge for the second half of his second season in professional baseball.
Tampa manager Rachel Balkovec delivered the news to Dominguez on Thursday before he left for the Futures Game.
“I’m really excited,” Dominguez said. “I want this break to go quick. I want to play.”
Dominguez, who has been heavily hyped since he signed with the Yankees for $5.1 million in 2019 out of the Dominican Republic, is the club’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 39 prospect in baseball, per MLB.com.
In 75 games for Tampa this season, Dominguez was batting .266 with nine home runs, 19 steals, 89 strikeouts, 46 walks and a .814 OPS. He shook off a slow start, when he hit .216 with one home run, 26 strikeouts, two walks and a .548 OPS in his first 17 games, before batting .284 with eight homers, 63 strikeouts, 44 walks and a .908 OPS over his last 58 games.
“The experience is important, but I was able to work on my discipline at the plate,” Dominguez said through an interpreter before the game. “There’s always going to be more to learn, more to experience, more to get used to. So yeah, there’s a lot to learn still.”
Dominguez said he enjoyed playing for Balkovec, who is in her first season as manager of the Tarpons.
“Obviously it’s different, but it feels good, it’s fun and you learn a lot,” Dominguez said.
After his second Futures Game, Dominguez, still the third-youngest player in the event, walked around the AL clubhouse getting his teammates to sign a bat.
“You don’t know if this is your last time here,” said Dominguez, who went hitless in the 2021 game. “So I got this bat to put on my wall in my room to remember this day.”
Yankees left-handed pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk entered to retire the final batter of the game and record the save, throwing three pitches from 95-96 mph to get Brewers prospect Jackson Chourio to fly out.
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