Matt Dominguez 2011: Can He Play? (early returns: no)

[Fritz]

Fixed.

[jOOj]

That's exactly what I posted.

[Miamarlin21]

Not sure if he's been mentioned or not, but what about Mark Teahen?

[Ralph]

Playing in Jupiter with Lomo tonight. 1-3 so far.

[Bobbob1313]

.906 OPS right now in 70+ PAs in AAA with good walk rate and average K rate. Figure if the team's still not hitting in the next 10 days, he gets the call, right?

[emkayseven]

I'd say they give it till July. Dobbs is one of the few guys who's hit this year. When he comes back down to earth and remembers he's Greg Dobbs, Dominguez will get the nod.

[Bobbob1313]

Watched his AB just now on MiLB.com. Singled on a sharp grounder through the right side.

I'm very interested in his progress, so I'll try to keep up with him and see if I can provide updates.

[MiamiHomer]

I really want to see his defense.

[Bobbob1313]

Get a MiLB.com account for like $10. Most AAA games are broadcast, it seems.

It's just a behind home plate view, pretty basic, but you can see it.

[MiamiHomer]

They should include that in the MLB.tv package.

[Mainge]

I am struggling to picture ++ defense when most scouting reports say he's a slug. My guess is top notch instincts and and hands but average to below average range. Does anyone remember how his arm profiles?

[Bobbob1313]

I am struggling to picture ++ defense when most scouting reports say he's a slug. My guess is top notch instincts and and hands but average to below average range. Does anyone remember how his arm profiles?

Baseball Prospectus describes his defense thusly:

Any discussion of Dominguez begins with his glove, as most scouts label him the best defensive third baseman in the minors. He has outstanding instincts, reacts well, has soft hands, and a strong, accurate arm.

Mike Lowell was super slow, and he was pretty elite defensively.

one thing that works in Dominguez's favor is he's still super, super young. He's not going to lose whatever athleticism he does have for a while.

[Mainge]

Lowell was super slow. Maybe I'm over thinking it

[Bobbob1313]

Yeah. Ryan Zimmerman's not exactly a burner either.

Sure, being Chone Figgins is nice, but 3B is more about your instincts, reaction times, and arm than range.

It's possible the scouting reports are wrong, but everyone has always said he's a gold glove level defender. I'd be surprised if everyone is wrong.

Plus, top speed is totally irrelevant at 3B. If you've got a strong first step and great reaction times, you'll be fine.

[Mainge]

I am aware of all that. We'll see