How Domínguez did it
Domínguez’s blast came on the second pitch he saw and on his first swing. After watching a 75.9-mph curveball from Verlander land for a strike, the future Hall of Famer tried to sneak a 94-mph fastball past the Dominican Republic native. It stayed up and away but in the zone, allowing Domínguez to extend his arms. He crushed his home run at 100.2 mph.
It was an incredible moment for Domínguez, one reminiscent of when Aaron Judge blasted a home run in his first MLB at-bat in 2016. Except Judge was a 24-year-old rookie. Domínguez is only 20.
And it came on a hectic day. More than a dozen of Domínguez’s family members were on hand for his debut. His parents, Felix and Dorka, were on the field with him before the game. He spoke with reporters crowded around his locker and then with the Yankees’ TV network just after taking batting practice in a group with Judge, Anthony Volpe and Giancarlo Stanton. — Kuty
