Gleyber Torres, Jasson Dominguez homer in Yankees spring opener against Phillies
The Yankees opened up their spring campaign at BayCare Park in Clearwater on Saturday afternoon with a 7-4 loss against the Phillies. Aaron Boone elected to hold most of his starters back in Tampa with a split-squad situation on Sunday.
Those who made the trip got their first in-game taste of the pitch clock — designed to speed up the pace of play — and the new “oversized” bases that will be monitored throughout the spring and early in the regular season.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Gleyber Torres, Oswaldo Cabrera, Harrison Bader and Jasson Dominguez were the notable names on the lineup card Saturday.
EARLY GLEYBER DAY
After an offseason of questioning his future with the club, Torres started off his spring on the right foot. The second baseman doubled to left in his first at-bat and followed it up with an opposite-field solo homer in the top of the third inning.
The 26-year-old — who was rumored to be in trade discussions at last year’s deadline — still figures to be of the most valuable bats in the Bombers’ lineup. The Venezuelan native slashed .257/.310/.451 with 24 homers and 76 RBI last season.
After All-Star appearances in each of his first two seasons in 2018 and 2019, Torres hasn’t had the projected ascension after impressing coming out of the gate. However, he can quiet the noise this spring regarding one of the up-and-coming prospects — Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza — taking his spot.
MARTIAN VISITS THE MOON
The Yankees No. 2 prospect — Dominguez — took liftoff on Saturday. The 20-year-old demolished a first-pitch fastball deep to left-center field in the top of the fifth inning.
The switch hitter grounded out during his first at-bat swinging at a 3-0 pitch as a lefty but certainly had a better day from the right side making quite the impression in his first major league spring game.
Dominguez is among the non-roster invitees at camp and is the first of their top prospects to get a crack at making an impression going 1-3 on the afternoon.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 47 prospect slashed .273/.376/.461 with 16 homers and 59 RBI in 120 games between Low-A, High-A and Double-A last season.
POSITION BATTLES
The Bombers’ kicked off their highly anticipated spring competitions during Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener. Kiner-Falefa led off playing shortstop and Cabrera was in the three-hole manning left field.
Both of the competitors found their way into the hit column on the afternoon. Kiner-Falefa doubled in the top of the fifth and finished 1-3 while Cabrera went 1-2 with a walk driving in two runs with his fifth-inning single.
Kiner-Falefa is up against stiff competition with two of the organization’s top three prospects in Volpe and Peraza competing to push through for a job in the majors. The 27-year-old played 138 games at shortstop for the Yanks last season.
Cabrera appears to be in a different situation. Boone admitted that he sees the 23-year-old as more of an infielder — as he overran a ball in left during the bottom of the fifth — designating Aaron Hicks as the likely candidate to patrol left field. However, should Cabrera have a strong spring, the decision to leave him as a super-utility man could get more difficult.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Yankees will open up at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Sunday afternoon. Clarke Schmidt will get the ball marking his first opportunity to win the fifth starter job against the Braves at 1:05 p.m.
The club will also send another squad to TD Ballpark in Dunedin against the Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m.
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