Jasson Dominguez makes his case for New York Yankees Opening Day lineup

If you haven't heard of New York Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez, you have now. Expect to hear that name more and more in discussions surrounding the MLB's future talents.

Dominguez is a 20-year old Dominican. He comes from a baseball-mad, Yankee-loving family. In fact, his father reportedly named him after former Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi. He made Yankees franchise history when he received a $5.1 million signing bonus from the team in July 2019, the highest offered to any rookie.

Last season, while playing in the Single-A Florida State League, Dominguez hit .266/.374/.440 with 9 home runs, 36 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. Earlier this spring, Dominguez was invited to the Yankees camp as a non-roster player.

"The Jasson Dominguez Game TM" - @ Talkin' Yanks

In yesterday's game against the Atlanta Braves, Dominguez made a strong case for himself. The outfielder went 1-for-2 with a 3-run home run in the 8th inning against Braves pitcher Nolan Kingham. His go-ahead dinger set the stage for a 10-6 Yankees victory.

Already, fans are piling on their love for the 20-year old, who has yet to appear in an MLB game. Although the season has not yet begun, the New York Yankees outfield is already a point of contention.

With Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge firmly penned in to play the outfield corners, the centerfield position is now up for grabs. Last year, centerfielder Aaron Hicks was replaced by Harrison Bader, who came to the Bronx Bombers in a late-season trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bader quickly gained favor with fans. This was partially due to the fact that Bader is a local boy from Bronxville, New York, and then there was his hitting ability. Bader hit two solo home runs in the Yankees' ALCS loss against the Houston Astros.

A player like Jasson Dominguez requires patience

To further complicate things, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has hinted that he might be persuaded to start Jasson Dominguez on Opening Day. Boone has been harshly criticized by Yankees fans for some of the lineup decisions that he has made in the preseason thus far.

New York fans are not known for their calm-headedness and patience. However, Jasson Dominguez is still incredibly young. Although alternatives like Aaron Hicks may not be popular, Dominguez likely still needs time to develop his skills. The jump from Single-A to an MLB starting nine can often be too much for a youngster to handle.