The final week of spring training has come and gone, and now we are only days away from the start of the regular season. The opening-day roster is beginning to look complete, but key prospects continue pushing to break camp with the team.
Jasson Dominguez
While The Martian did not play in spring training this year, his recovery from Tommy John surgery appears to be on schedule. Dominguez began throwing from 60 feet in early February and hitting from the right side of the plate around the same time. Manager Aaron Boone spoke with the Michael Kay Show on February 8th, stating that the timeline for a return to action remains unchanged.
“[He’s in] great shape. He turned a whopping 21 years old [February 7th]. It’s so good to see him. …He’s working hard. Again, he’ll be back in the summer for us. I’m confident in that.”
The Michael Kay Show
Spencer Jones
The Yankees announced yesterday that Spencer Jones received the 2024 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the most outstanding Yankees rookie in spring training. Jones had an incredible spring, batting .444/.565/.722 with seven runs, two doubles, one home run, four RBIs, and four walks in 12 spring games. Jones also participated in the inaugural “Spring Breakout Game,” going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. On March 6th, the team reassigned Jones to minor league camp, and he will likely start the season with the AA Somerset Patriots.
Roderick Arias
The Yankees are fond of drafting shortstops, and Arias is another example of why that continues to be true. He did not receive an invitation to spring training but did play in the “Spring Breakout Game” alongside other Yankee prospects. Given his positive showing this spring and his experience last year in the Florida Complex League, Arias will likely begin the season with the Low-A Tampa Tarpons.
Chase Hampton
Hampton only had one appearance this spring, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two batters in one scoreless inning. On March 4th, the Yankees reassigned Hampton to minor league camp, and he will start the season with the AA Somerset Patriots.
Austin Wells
Even after securing an opening-day roster spot, Austin Wells has continued to swing the bat well. His addition adds another much-needed left-handed bat to a Yankee lineup severely lacking in that category last year. Despite his impressive pop, Wells has struggled with strikeouts throughout spring training, and this week was no different. In 13 plate appearances, Wells struck out four times, which remains consistent with his strikeout rate throughout the spring campaign. To meet the expectations of Yankees fans, Austin Wells will need to make his at-bats more competitive to have the impact the team needs.
Everson Pereira
Everson Pereira struggled with the same strikeout problem as Austin Wells this spring but lacked his production. He finished spring training batting .188/.206/.281 with only six hits and 14 strikeouts against pitching that was marginally better than the caliber he would face at the AA level. The upside is that he will start the season with AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he can focus on seeing the ball better and having more competitive at-bats. In his brief major league stint last year, Pereira had an average exit velocity of 91.9 and hit the ball hard better than 50% of the time. With time, Pereira should develop into the outfielder the Yankees expect.
Jorbit Vivas
On March 18th, the Yankees reassigned Jorbit Vivas to minor league camp, and he will start the season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Vivas arrived in Yankees camp in the trade that sent Trey Sweeney to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout spring training, Vivas provided a glimpse into the skillset he brings to the Yankees; great bat-to-ball skills, sneaky pop, speed, and an uncanny ability to get on base. While he will start the season in the minors, his spring training performance suggests he will not be there long.
Will Warren
In his final spring performance, Warren pitched five innings in relief and gave up three hits, one run, and two walks while facing 19 batters. The 24-year-old righty finished spring training with a respectable 3.52 ERA over 15.1 innings pitched while striking out 13. Warren will start the season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders but will likely get called to the major league this season.
George Lombard Jr.
Another Yankee shortstop making waves this spring is 18-year-old George Lombard Jr. Though he didn’t see much playing time, Yankee fans glimpsed his future potential. With just two plate appearances this week, which included a walk and two strikeouts, Lombard’s debut home run and breakout performance hint at a promising future for the young slugger. After a strong finish in the Florida Complex League in 2023, Lombard will begin the season in Low-A with the Tampa Tarpons.
Brando Mayea
Brando Mayea was not in camp this year but competed in the Dominican Summer League in 2023. The young outfielder showed promising numbers at the end of the summer, but a better gauge of his performance will happen this year when he starts in the Florida Complex League.
The Week Ahead
The Yankees kick off the season on Thursday with a four-game series in Houston, while their AAA affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders begin a three-game series on Friday against the Blue Jays affiliate Buffalo Bison. The Bison feature the top two Blue Jays prospects by ITD in LHP Ricky Tiedemann and SS Orelvis Martinez; Tiedemann is the 24th overall prospect by ITD and Martinez is the 86th.
Friday, March 29th @ Buffalo Bison – 2:05 PM ET
Saturday, March 30th @ Buffalo Bison – 1:05 PM ET
Sunday, March 31st @ Buffalo Bison – 1:05 PM ET
