Jason Dominguez Shines in Yankees’ Victory Against Orioles

On Sunday, Jason Dominguez offered a glimpse of the promise the Yankees saw in him when they signed him as an international free agent nearly seven years ago.

At 23, the switch-hitter is still trying to establish himself as a consistent major leaguer. However, he impressed with two doubles and his first home run of the season during an 11-3 triumph over the Orioles.

With Giancarlo Stanton sidelined due to a calf injury, Dominguez has stepped up to seize recent opportunities—a skill he hasn’t always shown in the past.

After starting with two hitless at-bats, he managed to double down the left field line, driving in the game-winning run in what was then a tight sixth inning.

Later, in the eighth, he hit a two-run homer from the left side and followed that up with another two-run double, this time batting right-handed.

For years, the Yankees had been anticipating consistent hitting from Dominguez batting right, despite his development primarily as a right-handed hitter.

“That’s his natural side,” manager Aaron Boone noted. “When you watch him hit, you can tell it’s not a natural movement.”

This season, Dominguez has been part of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but struggled to establish himself as a regular in the majors.

As he played alongside Cody Bellinger in left and Trent Grisham in center, lingering questions persisted—not just about his right-handed batting but also regarding his defensive capabilities.

Before the game, Boone indicated that Dominguez would take on the role of the fourth outfielder following Randal Grichuk’s loss, and hinted he might bring in Aaron Judge to DH at some point this week.

After the game, Dominguez expressed his excitement about getting three hits, noting he’s focusing on feeling more comfortable hitting right-handed.

This isn’t new territory for him, as he began his Yankees journey in late 2023.

“Adversity is always tough, but that’s part of my job,” he reflected. “I just have to keep pushing forward.”

Performances like the one on Sunday “definitely help,” Dominguez said, marking the second instance in his career hitting from both sides of the plate in a single inning. Interestingly, he is the only Yankee to achieve this since Mark Teixeira did it back in 2016.