The Martian landed in the MLB Futures Game on Sunday, but went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in an 8-3 American League loss to the National League.
Still, his one ball in play was a 106 MPH liner right at third base, and after the game, the 18-year-old who has played barely a half-dozen pro games so far, was overjoyed to be part of the showcase.
“It feels great, very exciting; I’m a little emotional right now, but it’s definitely a dream come true for me," Dominguez said after the game.
Fans would love to see Dominguez in the Majors right now, and he said his hope was to be there in “three to four years,” but Yankees minor-league hitting coach Rachel Balkovec – who was a hitting coach for the AL squad – talked him up big-time during the media blitz.
“Everyone talks about his baseball skills. I want people to know that kid is a special person. His work ethic is incredible," Balkovec said. “He’s even a leader, I would say, amongst the young guys. He’s definitely a leader. He’s done things the right way, he learns fast, he asks good questions, he challenges me as a coach, and that’s actually your dream. He takes ownership of his career and I think that’s actually what makes him pretty special. What’s really unique is he has that talent and he has 10-out-of-10 makeup and that’s extremely rare. You never know what’s going to happen, but I’d like to think he’s going to go really far.”
Luis Medina, the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect, also appeared in the game, tossing a scoreless sixth inning with two hits, a walk, and two strikeouts. He also threw the fastest pitch of the game, at 100.7 MPH.
Of the Mets’ two representatives, catcher Francisco Alvarez hit a solo homer in his lone at-bat as a pinch-hitter, and third baseman Brett Baty was 0-for-2 in half a game at the hot corner.
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