Jasson Dominguez's scorching July provided signs of hope Martian has solved Double-A

Remember when we tried to argue the Yankees should promote Jasson Dominguez, despite his horrific struggles, because he was clearly being pitched around? It's way easier to argue someone should be promoted when they're scorching the ball rather than when they're dying on the vine.

Luckily, that day has come.

Dominguez's 2023 season started bleakly following a scorching spring training where he proved ready, willing and able to hit big-league pitching (his dinger off 2022 Phillies NL champion Connor Brogdon seemed especially relevant). Unfortunately, whether he was bummed out by his demotion or simply not prepared for the daily challenge of Double-A pitching after blazing through last year's postseason, The Martian's slash lines were slashed to bits in the early going.

His .140 average with a .380 OBP in April was almost comical. His eyes? Unaffected. His bat? Didn't travel north. Worryingly, things only seemed to progress in the wrong direction as June arrived; Dominguez's advancements didn't seem to be linear. His average rose to .237 in May? His power vanished in June (.186 average, .625 OPS). Luckily, as it comes to a close, the month of July seems to be the moment things finally calcified.

Hmm, figuring things out midseason, adjusting to the level, and reaching another gear? Doesn't ... totally sound like something a "lazy" person resting on his laurels would do, @ Randy Miller! Sorry, I mean @ "Anonymous Scout"!

Yankees top outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez might be reaching promise at Double-A

Dominguez just posted the best OBP of his season in July at .385, but didn't sacrifice average or power in the name of patience. His .808 OPS represented a return to form and harkened back to 2022, when he (somewhat silently) posted months of .982, .899, and .902. Expectations have always been beyond sky high for the supernatural prospect, but if those marks went unnoticed last season, his difficult April-through-June certainly highlighted his successes as they arrived this summer.

Yankees prospect skeptic Keith Law continues to be one of the most reasonably optimistic voices on Dominguez, who has rewarded his faith with a summer scorcher. In his most recent prospect rankings update, posted on July 21, Law moved Dominguez up to No. 27 from No. 32 preseason, and continued to preach patience.

Essentially, Law wrote, "...what more do you people want?"

Dominguez might not be ready for Opening Day 2024, but if the Yankees want to keep that possibility alive, they'll need to give him their patented end-of-season Triple-A taste this Aug./Sept.

Luckily, that no longer feels like an over-optimistic pipe dream. He's earned it.

How's August going so far, you ask? .364 with an .864 OPS thus far. Keep it rolling, please.