TAMPA — For the much-maligned Yankee farm system, this spring is the most effective of occasions and the worst of occasions.
The better of occasions is Jasson Dominguez, the younger switch-hitting phenom middle fielder, who resides as much as all of the accompanying hype from when the Yankees signed him for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic because the No. 1 rated worldwide prospect in 2019. As of Friday, Dominguez was 7-for-16 with three homers, seven RBI and a 1.526 OPS in Grapefruit League play because the cries of “Martian” (his colourful and applicable nickname for his “out-of-this-world” five-tool expertise) have been resonating by way of the stands of George M. Steinbrenner Field.
More better of occasions has been the emergence of Jersey-bred fan favourite Anthony Volpe from longshot within the shortstop sweepstakes to the frontrunner within the early going of spring.
It has been some time since there was this a lot rookie buzz within the Yankee camp. For apart from Aaron Judge (and granted he’s a reasonably good one), the Yankees haven’t developed a frontline place participant since Brett Gardner in 2008, and earlier than that Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada within the ‘90s. It’s been the identical with pitchers. Not since Andy Pettitte in 1995 have the Yankees drafted and developed a top-of-the-rotation beginning pitcher. We will see if that modifications this 12 months with Clarke Schmidt, their No. 1 draft choose in 2017 out of South Carolina who’s getting a golden alternative for a spot within the rotation with Frankie Montas having undergone shoulder surgical procedure previous to spring coaching that can sideline him for months.
So what probably could possibly be the worst of occasions?
Well, for one factor, as electrifying as Dominguez has been this spring, he’s performed solely 5 video games above A ball and most of his Grapefruit League at-bats have come as a late-inning substitute towards “garbage time” minor league pitchers. So even with the indirect damage to Harrison Bader which is able to probably stop him from opening the season in middle discipline, a lot to the followers’ chagrin, the Yankee excessive command isn’t about to hurry the timetable on Dominguez. Everyone you speak to across the Yankees insists the child is the actual deal, with unusual calm and plate self-discipline for a 20-year-old, however his time, in addition they insist, has not but come.
The different “best of times, worst of times” state of affairs enjoying out this spring has to do with the Yankees’ different two high prospects, Volpe and Oswald Peraza who sadly each occur to play the identical place. It’s fairly clear Volpe is the fan favourite if solely due to his north Jersey roots and infectious character. But like Dominguez, Volpe has restricted expertise, solely 89 at-bats above Double-A versus Peraza, who spent most of final season at Scranton-Wilkes Barre, hitting .259 with 19 homers and 33 stolen bases.
Of the 2, Peraza is perceived to be the extra pure shortstop, though Volpe’s boosters have been fast to level to Jeter in 1996, who had his doubters about being a real shortstop among the many Yankee excessive command, and proved them improper by flat-out successful the job in spring coaching and by no means wanting again. It’s an actual dilemma for the Yankee mind belief, particularly for many who imagine Volpe in the long term is healthier fitted to second or third base.
If Volpe continues to hit (6-for-20 with a homer and 5 runs scored as of Friday) and show that he can deal with the place, how do you inform him he’s not a shortstop? Indeed, if, on the finish of the spring, it’s deemed that Peraza would be the Opening Day shortstop, how do you continue to ship Volpe to Triple-A as something however a shortstop?
I requested that query to a veteran scout following the Yankees this spring. “You can’t,” he stated. “You have to let the player prove he can’t play the position. Volpe’s only 21 and played shortstop his entire life. The Yankees have to be very careful here.”
At the tip of the day, one in all them goes to be the winner of this competitors however for now Brian Cashman isn’t going there. “Anthony Volpe is doing everything he needs to do,” the GM stated Thursday when requested for his evaluation of the shortstop scenario. “I’m not surprised he’s played well and he’s here for consideration. We’ll see how ultimately he measures up compared to everybody else in our internal dialogues. That hasn’t happened yet. I know everybody would love to have an answer sooner rather than later but we’re not prepared to make those decisions yet.”
In 2022, the Yankees had the second-highest general common age within the majors (behind the Mets) of 30.12 and it’s truthful to say they might use an infusion of youth. Either manner, they’re going to get that at shortstop, nevertheless it could possibly be sophisticated. Meanwhile, what stays to be seen is the very best-of-times state of affairs — which might be Dominguez hitting his manner into the Yankee outfield someday in the course of the ‘23 season.
IT’S A MADD, MADD WORLD
Back within the ‘80s when he was a coach for the Astros, Yogi Berra did a series of short programs, sponsored by Stroh’s Beer and created by MLB’s TV guru Tom Villante known as “Yogi at the Movies” wherein he would provide fast commentaries on the present films. Well, now Yogi is the flicks! On May 12, Sony Pictures Classics can be releasing “It Ain’t Over,” a 95-minute documentary of Yogi’s life to be proven in theatres in New York and Los Angeles and increasing to the remainder of the nation shortly thereafter. I hafta say documentarian Sean Mullin and his producers did a exceptional job in scoring interviews with so a lot of Yogi’s former teammates (Bobby Brown, Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson), Yankee legends (Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph), along with Vin Scully, Billy Crystal and Bob Costas, and Yogi’s sons, Tim, Larry and Dale. It’s a extremely entertaining tribute to an American treasure and if Yogi was critiquing it, he would virtually certainly say “you can observe a lot by this movie just by watching” whereas additionally reminding us to not depart the theatre early “because the movie ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com