In 2019, a 16-year-old Jasson Domínguez became a multi-millionaire, coming to terms on a $5.2 million signing bonus with America’s most iconic franchise. In the just under seven years since, he’s encountered a lot, from losing a year of development due to COVID-19 to his minor-league breakout and rapid MLB debut to Tommy John surgery to losing opportunities in his true rookie year of 2025 due to the emergence of Trent Grisham.
Entering 2026, the now-23-year-old Domínguez is likely ticketed for Triple-A
to continue developing, but he’s still got a chance to prove he belongs on the major-league roster. After a rare home run from the right side on Tuesday against the Phillies, the Martian flipped back to his strong side and replayed a highlight from the first at-bat of his MLB career in September 2023, blasting a long home run off Justin Verlander to get the Yankees started in an eventual 4-3 win over the Tigers in an untelevised game in Lakeland.
Nestled away in front of zero cameras in Lakeland, the Yankees got a quick start off of their longtime foe Verlander, facing the Bombers in a Detroit uniform for the first time in 3,561 days. After the 43-year-old froze Ben Rice to start the game, he coughed up back-to-back home runs to Domínguez and Escarra. The Martian’s blast was especially notable, going 431 feet to deep right-center field.
Will Warren sat down the Tigers 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the first, allowing the home run parade to continue off of Verlander in the second. Non-roster invite Seth Brown gave us a preview of what we’ll see in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, showing off his great pop with his first home run of the spring to make it 3-0 Yanks.
Warren struck out a pair in the home half, blowing a 1-2 fastball past Spencer Torkelson at the top of the zone and dialing it up to 95 to get Zach McKinstry swinging to end the second. He continued rolling in the third, only being threatened by a long fly out by Javier Báez before inducing a pair of groundouts, retiring the first nine in order.
Verlander appeared like he was beginning to settle down after allowing three early home runs, but he got into another jam in the fourth. Spencer Jones tapped a ball through the right side and hustled out a double with one out before both Brown and Max Schuemann drew walks to load the bases and chase the future Hall of Famer. Brant Hurter came on in an unenviable situation, but struck out both George Lombard Jr. and Yanquiel Fernández to get out of trouble.
The Tigers’ lineup flipped over in the fourth, but they still had no answer for Warren, who had now tossed four perfect innings on just 41 pitches. Hurter stayed on for Detroit in the fifth and did the same to the top of the Yankees’ order, striking out Rice in a 1-2-3 frame.
After retiring his 13th consecutive batter to start the game, Warren finally faltered and gave up a single to Dillon Dingler and a home run to McKinstry to cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2. Veteran Kenley Jansen, whom I just learned today is a Tiger, pitched the sixth for Detroit and worked around a two-out error to put up another zero, striking out DeJong and Jones in the process.
Still working extremely efficiently, Warren closed out a rare spring training quality start, tossing six solid innings on just 64 pitches. He only had two strikeouts and once again surrendered his only damage against lefties, but he was able to manage contact effectively, which will be valuable for a guy without overwhelming velocity.
Cade Winquest got the ball in the seventh in relief of Warren, looking to string together some good outings with less than two weeks left before the Yankees have to make a Rule 5 decision. It didn’t start well, as he plunked Hunter Dobbins on 0-2 to lead off the inning. He wasn’t fazed, though, inducing a pair of groundballs from Torkelson and Dingler to get the three outs he needed to end the inning while sitting 96 on his fastball.
After loading the bases and forcing Verlander out of the game in the fourth, the Tigers retired 14 of the next 15 Yankees, with the only baserunner being the sixth-inning error. Angel Chivilli pitched the eighth for the Yankees and got into trouble, allowing a double to Brett Callahan and an infield single to Max Anderson, neither hit harder than 88 mph, to put runners on the corners with one out.
He jumped ahead of Jude Warwick 1-2 with a changeup he chased in the dirt, but he doubled up on the pitch, and the Tigers’ prospect reached down and skied it to right field for a game-tying sacrifice fly. Chivilli jumped ahead of Bennett Lee and struck him out with a changeup, but the game was now tied at three.
Miguel Palma broke a 15-batter streak by Tigers pitching in the ninth with a leadoff walk against Johan Simon. 2025 draft pick Kaeden Kent upped the pressure by battling back from 0-2 to line a single to right field. Nick Torres chased a slider in the dirt for the first out, but the ball got away and allowed the go-ahead run to get to third with one out. Coby Morales struck out, Jace Avina got plunked to load the bases, and the Tigers made a pitching change.
Logan Berrier, who predominantly pitched for Low-A Lakeland in 2025, faced Josh Moylan, who plays first base for High-A Hudson Valley, with the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game in the ninth inning. Moylan jumped ahead 3-0, fell back into a full count, and drew a go-ahead seven-pitch walk. Braden Shewmake also jumped ahead 3-1 right after, but hit a hard groundball right to the second baseman to end the inning.
Nursing a 4-3 lead, Bradley Hanner was tasked with closing this one out. He struck out Corey Julks, induced a soft lineout from Samuel Gil, and ended the game with an Andrew Jenkins groundout.
The Yankees will stay on the road and travel to CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida, to take on the Atlanta Braves on Friday at 1:05 pm. Ryan Weathers will look to bounce back in his third spring start against Didier Fuentes. The game will be televised on MLB Network and the Gotham Sports App.
