New York Yankees prospects Jasson Dominguez, Clarke Schmidt make MLB Pipeline

New York Yankees prospects Jasson Dominguez and Clarke Schmidt both cracked MLB’s list of the top 100 prospects in baseball.

MLB Pipeline has released its updated list of top 100 prospects, and two New York Yankees youngsters made the cut. Switch-hitting teenage stud Jasson Dominguez came in at No. 59 on the list. Meanwhile, dynamic right-hander Clarke Schmidt nearly rounded everything out at No. 99.

At the top of the list was someone from the AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays. Shortstop Wander Franco is only 19 and is already a .336 career hitter in the minor leagues. Following him are Los Angeles Dodgers infield prospect Gavin Lux, Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert, and a slew of others.

But though they ranked lower than most prospects, make no mistake. Jasson Dominguez and Clarke Schmidt are both names to watch in the next couple of years.

Getting to know Jasson Dominguez

Needless to say, Jasson Dominguez is an exciting prospect despite a modest ranking at No. 59. However, let’s put his ranking in context.

First, Dominguez is only 17 years old and has yet to play a single minor league game in the Yankees organization. On top of that, though MLB Pipeline listed him as an outfielder, Dominguez was actually signed as a catcher. Furthermore, his Baseball-Reference page doesn’t list a position. Sure, he’s an outfielder now, but that could easily change as he develops.

Most important of all, Dominguez is nicknamed “The Martian” for a good reason. He is so talented that he’s practically out of this world. He may rank 59th now, but he’ll easily climb up the rankings as he develops and matures as a player.

Getting to know Clarke Schmidt

Clarke Schmidt, on the other hand, is a horse of a different color. Unlike Dominguez, he isn’t a work-in-progress, nor is his ranking 99th an indicator of his talent. Rather, Schmidt is listed so low because he is practically MLB-ready.

The Yankees drafted Schmidt out of South Carolina with their first-round draft pick in 2017. This turned some heads as the righty had just undergone Tommy John surgery two months prior.

Once again, general manager Brian Cashman’s instincts proved correct. In just two minor league seasons, and with no appearances in Triple-A, Schmidt pitched to a 3.39 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 114 innings. Now, he is on the team’s satellite squad and could be called to the big league roster at any time.

More importantly, however, Schmidt is the most MLB-ready of the Yankees’ prospects. He has great movement on his fastball, not to mention a devastating splitter and slider. Once he’s on the mound in the Bronx, the Yankees’ rotation will be that much better.