St. Petersburg, Florida. I approached Alex Verdugo after Friday night’s 2-0 victory over the Rays, despite the fact that the Yankees’ No. 1 dawg had nothing to do with the result. That was the point.
Verdugo has a reputation as a nonconformist, which isn’t a bad thing within the Bombers’ clubhouse. Teammates adore him. But Verdugo’s actual value comes from his bat, notably his contact ratio.
It’s not a reach to compare a Verdugo strikeout to a Haley’s Comet sighting. He is one of only two big leaguers who have struck out less than 100 times in each of the last three seasons (2021-23). The other player is Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez.
That’s why I sought out Verdugo, who had three strikeouts in his first three at-bats against Rays starter Taj Bradley. Had aliens stolen the real Verdugo and replaced him with a body duplicate who clearly couldn’t hit a fastball? Bradley’s four-seamer averaged 97.3 mph. Oof.
Verdugo laughed, sort of.
“I don’t know what happened,” he admitted. “I wasn’t even furious (about the strikeouts); it was more of a feeling of astonishment. “That is not me.”
Verdugo promised to perform better on Saturday. He doesn’t have to worry about his career, but the situation could change by July. When Jasson Dominguez recovers from Tommy John surgery, the Yankees will face a numbers problem in the outfield.
Manager Aaron Boone has the option of putting Dominguez, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge in center, left, or right field. Their combined power quotient would be nuclear. However, this would push Verdugo to the bench and would likely persuade the Yankees to trade Trent Grisham, who rarely plays and bats.071.
The possibilities are enormous, but the Yankees aren’t ready to play musical chairs just yet. One member of the organization stated that when Dominguez is ready to return from the injured list, they will find a place for him. Not a minute earlier.
That’s because GM Brian Cashman is acutely aware of how frequently an injury has resolved roster difficulties in the past. Perhaps Judge will be harmed again. Or Giancarlo Stanton goes down with a Grade-2 calf strain, allowing Soto or Dominguez to take over as DH.
What if everyone is healthy?
Verdugo could be traded. Alternatively, Dominguez may be optioned to Triple-A, where he would remain until 2025. By then, the Yankees will know whether Soto plans to stay in the Bronx.
One thing is certain: the expectation for Dominguez’s return is growing. Soto stated, “I can’t wait to watch Jasson play.” I heard a lot of positive things about him last year. “I’ll be happy when he arrives.”
Dominguez is equally thrilled by Soto, a fellow Dominican who he describes as “out of this world” in his first two months in pinstripes.
The two first met during spring training and discussed the possibility of playing in the same lineup one day. The countdown has become official.
Dominguez played catch for 15 minutes at the Yankees’ minor league facilities on Friday afternoon, and I was astonished at how far he had come after reconstructive surgery on his right elbow eight months earlier.
“I’m in a good place right now,” Dominguez explained. The velocity of his throws is growing. His long-tossing distance is up to 150 feet. Dominguez will make his Class-A debut with the Tampa Tarpons as DH because the damaged ligament had no effect on his swing. That’s approximately 10-14 days away.
Dominguez appears unmoved by — and possibly even oblivious of — the buzz he generates. The switch-hitting home run threat, likened to a young Mickey Mantle, is mingling with prospects, many of whom are anonymous and unknown to the general public.
Dominguez appears to be one of the group, having improved his English to near proficiency.
We talked for a few minutes before I remarked, “I don’t think you’re going to need (Yankees interpreter) Marlon Abreu anymore.”
Dominguez grinned and remarked, “I hope not,” before explaining how learning a second language helped him forget about his long stay on the IL.
“There have been times when it’s been hard for me, seeing the other guys playing,” Dominguez stated. “But, at the same time, things are as they are. So I am taking it day by day. I do not want to push it.”
The Yankees share this attitude of prudence. Kevin Reese, vice president of player development, compared Dominguez’s recovery to Bryce Harper’s following comparable Tommy John surgery.
The Phillies needed Harper more in 2023 than the Yankees did Dominguez in 2024. Harper was rushing. Dominguez won’t be.
“You saw Harper come back as a DH but also play a little first base,” Reese stated. “I don’t think we will do it with Jasson. But we’ll get him some at-bats as quickly as possible and see how he develops.”
And, in case anyone had forgotten how captivating Dominguez is when healthy, Reese reminded them.
“In a very small sample last year, Jasson showed very quickly all the things that make him exciting,” Reese stated. “As a talent evaluator, that’s what you want to see.”
Checked the boxes. There are a lot of them.
“Can this guy hit for average, can he hit for power, can hit from both sides, can he run?” Reese stated. “Jasson demonstrated all of those abilities as a 20-year-old in the major leagues. That’s quite exciting.”
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