MLB insider confirms Jasson Dominguez hype was artificially driven by Yankees

If there's one thing that should be known regarding the New York Yankees' player development apparatus, it's that it is a propaganda machine. While there have been hits here and there, like Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner, it hasn't been since the Core Five that the team's bedrock has been built on homegrown players.

While fans sometimes bemoan that Hal Steinbrenner isn't like his father, the Yankees dynasty began to blossom while George Steinbrenner was in exile. But as the run continued, the farm system thinned and it's primary purpose became to feed the big league roster via the trade market, rather than going the homegrown route that actually produced the run of titles.

When Brian Cashman wrestled control away from George roughly two decades ago, rebuilding the farm system was one of his top priorities. In 2007, Cashman said, "I said, ‘We have three years to try to deliver a championship and try to rebuild the system.' I know the system is getting rebuilt. We’ve still got to work on the championship side of things.”

At that time, the prospect hype machine went into full effect. Hurlers like Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy were being propped up. Hitters like Eric Duncan and Jose Tabata were the future. It wasn't until 2009 that the Yankees would win another World Series title, and that came after the massive spending spree that brought CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and AJ Burnett to New York.

Still, the prospect propaganda never halted. A few years later, the late Jesus Montero was the next big thing, supposedly possessing both an 80-grade hit tool and 80-grade power, according to Baseball America. We can go on and on up to the present day, with Jasson Dominguez.

Joel Sherman confirms that Jasson Dominguez's prospect hype was driven by the Yankees

Dominguez is certainly at a crossroads in 2026. Some thought he should be traded by now. Others aren't ready to give up yet and would prefer for him to stay on the big league roster, even if it means not playing every day. And still, another contingent would like to see him hone his skills down in Scranton for a while.

On an episode of the Pinstripe Post, Joel Sherman offers his take, reasoning that Dominguez would benefit more from playing every day down in Triple-A and that the Yankees were to blame for all of the hype.

"I think one of the things that hurt Jasson Dominguez worse of all was getting nicknamed 'The Martian', and that built this expectation that he's like (Mickey) Mantle. No, he's not. Other teams never believed that about Jasson Dominguez. This was New York hype," Sherman said.

Sherman went on to say that there is a way Dominguez could become a valuable player with more seasoning at Scranton, but the expectations that go along with the Martian nickname aren't likely in the cards for him.

This confirms what we should have known all along. Dominguez is a talented young player who has just turned 23 years old. He deserves a chance in spring training, and it's far too early to write him off, but we may very well see that he needs more development. And with that, we should adjust our expectations accordingly.