Blink-182 warned us in 1999: Aliens exist.
The thing is, it didn't take government press conferences, UFO sightings or Will Smith punching one to tell us as much. You had to look no further than the Yankees' farm system.
Top Yankees outfield prospect, the 21-year-old Jasson Dominguez, has arrived again. Dominguez made his MLB debut in 2023, injecting life into New York's lineup with four home runs, seven RBI and one stolen base while hitting .258 over 33 plate appearances. His last call-up this past August wasn't as exciting, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before being sent back down after one game.
The Yankees will hope "The Martian" can swiftly impact a team with World Series aspirations that needs outfield help.
Much like Kal-El's arrival in Smallville, Kansas, Dominguez signals hope for many. They also may share extraterrestrial origins. Here's what to know about "The Martian," and how the wunderkind got his otherworldly nickname.
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Why do they call Jasson Dominguez The Martian?
Dominguez's nickname "The Martian" ("El Marciano" in Spanish) comes from an awe-struck viewer of Dominguez in his home country of the Dominican Republic. Someone — it's unclear who — said Dominguez's talent was not of this world, leading to the nickname.
The moniker stuck, and it has followed Dominguez since he signed with the Yankees as a 16-year-old.
Even Dominguez embraces it, as shown in a post by one Reddit user describing an airport encounter with the 21-year-old that went viral after the Yankees made the call-up in 2023.
He is Martian. He is out of this world pic.twitter.com/iyiCGxqJ8D
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 31, 2023
Dominguez has been hyped ever since he was a teenager. Some have compared him to Mike Trout, while others have compared him to Bo Jackson and Mickey Mantle. Now, he'll have to make good on those comps at the major league level.
His nickname isn't the only name that's got an interesting origin. His first name, Jasson (pronounced Jason), is inspired by former Yankee and AL MVP Jason Giambi. His father, Felix Dominguez, is a massive Yankee fan.
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Jasson Dominguez height and weight
Dominguez isn't quite the mammoth that teammate Aaron Judge is. Instead, he's listed at 5-9 and 190 pounds, in stark contrast to Judge, who is listed at 6-7 and 282.
Simply put, Dominguez is built like a pinstriped fire hydrant with arms.
Jasson Dominguez contract
Dominguez signed with the Yankees as an international prospect in 2019, for a $5 million signing bonus. Working his way through the minors, he's currently pre-arbitration eligible and earns $720,000 per season.
He will be eligible for arbitration once he accrues three years of MLB service time, so the Yankees are getting him at something of a big discount.
