Yankees vs. Astros Friday MLB odds, props: Top New York prospect Jasson Dominguez set for debut, +500 to homer

The Yankees are not making the playoffs. They are 65-69, their most losses through the end of August since the last time they had a losing season in 1992 (76-86). New York has gone 30 consecutive seasons without a losing record, the longest active streak among any franchise in one of the four major American sports leagues. How much does ownership care about continuing that streak? Perhaps not much, because a youth movement is on the way with MLB rosters expanding Friday and one of the team's top prospects, outfielder Jasson Dominguez, is expected to debut in Houston. He is +500 at DraftKings to hit a homer.

The 20-year-old Dominguez has one of the great nicknames in the sport: "The Martian," because he has such otherworldly athletic tools and has been compared -- perhaps a bit unfairly -- to the likes of Mickey Mantle, Bo Jackson and Mike Trout. Dominguez, arguably the most hyped international prospect ever, signed for a whopping $5.1 million as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2019. He's ranked as the No. 78 overall prospect by MLB.com and No. 2 on the Yankees behind fellow outfielder Spencer Jones (ranked No. 77 overall).

The switch-hitting Dominguez broke out last year when he slashed .273/.375/.461 with 16 homers and 37 steals while advancing from Single-A to Double-A at age 19. During 2023 Spring Training with the Yankees, the team's youngest player in camp hit four homers in 11 Grapefruit League games before being sent down. Dominguez hit .254 with 15 homers, 66 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in 109 games at Double-A and was promoted Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 22. He hit .419 with 10 RBIs and three steals in nine games there.

"I'm in the camp that I think he's going to be a really good player in this league," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said recently. "He's a really special talent. After getting off to a little bit of a slow start this year in Double-A, he's really played well here over the last few months. He's a guy that obviously impacts the ball and is athletic and can run, but I liked the fact that at a very young age, he really controls the strike zone. Hopefully that's something that, when he does get up here, will really be something that serves him well."

The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder has been a bit better hitting lefty. This year he had a 25% swing-and-miss rate as a left-handed hitter and 32% from the right side. Like all rookies, he'll surely see a ton of breaking stuff in the Show. This year in the minors, Domínguez had a 30% whiff rate against all breaking balls and a chase rate of 31%.

Dominguez will be thrown right into the fire as the Yankees will see future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander in Houston on Friday. If Oswald Peraza (23), Everson Pereira (22), Anthony Volpe (22) and Dominguez (20) all start together in a game, it would be the first time the Yankees have four position players age 23 or younger in same starting lineup since Sept. 18, 1969.

In Thursday's loss in Detroit, Volpe became the first rookie in Yankees history -- and the 15th in AL/NL history -- to notch a 20-20 season thanks a game-tying three-run homer in the top of the ninth, although New York would lose in 10. New York was trying for its first four-game win streak in more than two months.

Dominguez might not be the only player making his MLB debut in Houston. The Yankees also reportedly plan to promote catcher Austin Wells, the organization's No. 8 prospect.

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