#20 Chris Dominguez. 3B. B-R, T-R. BD: 11-22-1986. 6'3", 215 lbs.
2009 Stats: AZL(Rookie)- .306/.375/.528, 2 HR's in 36 AB's. Salem-Keizer(Short Season)- .254/.298/.442, 9 HR's, 11 SB's, 2 CS in 181 AB's.
Perhaps no other player in the Giants system has a higher ceiling or a lower floor than Chris Dominguez. Blessed with tremendous raw power, a great throwing arm, and enough speed to steal some bases, he also struggles mightily to make contact. With limited range at 3B, he may have to move to 1B, but if he can hit at all, he will probably hit well enough to bea plus hitter at first base too. It's a little unclear where he is going to play in 2010. Logically, a 3'rd round college draftee would be pushed to high A San Jose, but Fred Stanley didn't mention him in his recent interview with sjgiants.com while projecting Drew Biery for that slot. My guess is Chris will play 3B/1B/DH for Augusta while the Giants try to get him to strike out less often. His combination of tools/skills reminds me a lot of Dave Kingman. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. Dominguez could be a very useful player if he can stick at 3B and hit 6'th or 7'th in a batting order.
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Dominguez will rebound next year. I think he will get more comfortable with the level of pitching at Augusta and will strike out less and raise his BA. This guy is really talented and I bet for the first time he will need to rely on more than just his natural ability to be successful. He will need to learn about the importance of studying tape and having a plan for each at bat (rather than trying to crush the ball out of the park everytime). I hope coaches help him work on his swing mechanics and fielding so that he can stick at 3B and knows how to adjust within an atbat.
ReplyDeleteIf (and it is admittedly a HUGE if) Dominguez could stay at 3B, that would be an incredible development in the Giants farm system. Although I'm as impressed as anyone with Pablo Sandoval's breakout (and DrB, I recall you touted him before anyone else did - so kudos to you), I fear for his long-term health. If Dominguez could possibly take his place, just think of the trade possibilities with Pablo.
ReplyDeleteBut Chris is so far away from being a good prospect that, even though I was pleasantly shocked when the Giants selected him, I've got him lower on my list. A good season at Augusta, showing almost any improvement in plate discipline, would move him up my board pretty quickly. But until that happens, I just can't select him above lesser-talented guys who have better chances of seeing action in the majors.
The Giants seem to have a new and improved emphasis on hitting instruction in the minors. We'll see if it does Dominguez any good. It seems like it shouldn't be that difficult to teach plate discipline and how to close holes in swings, but it's surprising how few young hitters actually improve all that much, especially in the recent history of the Giants system.
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