Jasson Domínguez Survived a Pitch That Should Have Broken His Bat

The most dangerous pitch Jasson Domínguez faced this week never touched his bat. He stood in the batter’s box against José Alvarado and took a called strike two. The ball looked like it was heading out of the strike zone, but it dropped right on the corner. This specific at-bat happened during a critical moment in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to Pinstripe Alley, the Yankees were leading 2-1 in the seventh inning. Austin Wells had already hit a solo home run earlier. Cody Bellinger also drove in a run with a single. The team needed another insurance run before the dangerous top of the order came up for the Phillies. Alvarado was the pitcher on the mound for Philadelphia.

The Pitcher’s Hidden Weapon

Alvarado throws a fastball 97.3 percent of the time. He mixes in a sinker about two-thirds of the time and a cutter about one-third of the time. He started the at-bat with a 96 mph sinker. The pitch started half a foot off the plate before it ran back into the zone. Domínguez wisely took this called strike one.

Alvarado tried to use the placement of that first pitch to set up the next one. He threw a cutter down a similar tunnel. The cutter broke away from the zone toward Domínguez. It looked like it was going to be a ball high and inside. In contrast, the cutter exhibited roughly an additional foot of downward break compared to the sinker.. It dropped into the zone at the last instant.

A Broken Bat Was Waiting

Had Domínguez swung at that cutter, he likely would have broken his bat. The pitch was placed right on the corner up and in. It was a tough spot to hit. If he had challenged the call with an automatic ball review, he would have lost the challenge. He found himself in an 0-2 hole without swinging the bat.

Alvarado then threw a four-seamer to try and get Domínguez to chase. This pitch is very rare for the pitcher. He only throws the four-seamer two percent of the time. The source notes it is easy to see why he uses it so little. The placement was poor and it was easy to hit.

Why This Matters

This at-bat matters because the Yankees are dealing with a major injury. Per Pinstripe Alley, MRI scans showed Cody Bellinger has a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. He will likely miss four to six weeks. That injury happened in the same game just one inning prior to this at-bat. The team lost a key player right when they needed him most.

Domínguez stepped up and crushed a solo home run off Alvarado later in the inning. This happened after the tough 0-2 count. The young player showed he can handle high heat and tricky movement. He proved he can make adjustments when the pitcher tries to fool him with different fastballs. The Yankees need this kind of performance from their young stars right now.

The team is clinging to leads in tight games. Every insurance run counts when the lineup is missing a star. Domínguez’s ability to stay in the count and then hit the ball hard is vital. It shows the future of the lineup is bright even if the present has some pain.