Juan Dominguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #7 prospect in 2005
  Dominguez had a roller-coaster season. He earned his first big league victory in late May at Yankee Stadium. After missing almost two months with a strained back, he finished the season on the disabled list with a right knee injury, a stint the Rangers extended as Dominguez struggled to deal with the death of his mother. Dominguez has two above-average big league pitches with a 91-96 mph fastball and a plus-plus changeup with good tumble. Both pitches look the same leaving his hand, and he's tougher on lefthanders than righthanders. Dominguez' lack of maturity chafed the big league staff. That's a bigger problem than his fringy slider, which made progress and at times was an average pitch in 2004. It's fair to say Dominguez has nothing left to prove in the minors. The Rangers are counting on him to earn a spot in the big league rotation out of spring training.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #4 prospect in 2004
  Previously known as Jose, Dominguez bolted through three levels and into the majors. He compiled a perfect minor league record along the way but was hammered in his two losses with the Rangers. His breakthrough season became less impressive when it turned out he's two years older than previously believed. Dominguez overmatched minor leaguers with command and two pitches: a lively 89-94 mph fastball and the best changeup in the system. His changeup acts like a splitter and grades as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. Dominguez needs a better slider to make it as a big league starter. He tends to get under it, causing it to flatten out in the strike zone. He also needs to improve his mound presence and awareness of game situations. If his slider doesn't come around, Dominguez could make a good set-up man. The plan is to keep him in the rotation for now and have him start the year in Triple-A.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #9 prospect in 2004
  A healthy Dominguez might have made a difference in the Rangers' drive for the playoffs. He breezed through the PCL with two plus pitches, but he strained his back in the majors in mid-June and barely pitched afterward. He returned to pitch six strong innings against Oakland in mid-September, then went back on the disabled list with a right knee injury. Dominguez uses the same arm action on his 91-96 mph fastball and his circle changeup, leaving hitters guessing. He slings the ball somewhat, which has made it hard to refine his slider into a dependable third pitch. He induces a lot of groundballs and showed more poise in the majors this year than he did in 2003.
• 
  Ranked Texas League #18 prospect in 2003
  Like Nivar, Dominguez went from Class A last season to his big league debut this year. He made an even bigger jump, having never pitched above low Class A or thrown more than 68 innings in a season. Once he got to the big leagues in August, however, Dominguez revealed that he was 23, not 21 as previously believed, and preferred to be known as Juan rather than Jose. Still, Dominguez' 10-0, 2.87 regular season record in his two minor league stops created a buzz. He returned to Frisco for the TL playoffs and took his only loss of the year in the finals. His fastball ranges from 88-93 mph, but his best pitch is a changeup that draws comparisons to Pedro Martinez'. He also throws a developing slider. Dominguez shows a cocky, aggressive attitude on the mound, but it didn't rub managers the wrong way. "His arrogance shows out there, but it's one of his best assets," Brundage said.
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  Ranked California League #9 prospect in 2003
  When Dominguez started the season, he was known as Jose Dominguez. He was also supposed to be 21. Four months later Dominguez made his major league debut and revealed that his name is Juan and he's actually two years older. Dominguez' out pitch is a plus-plus changeup, and his live arm is capable of running fastballs up to 93 mph. His doesn't have a good feel for his slider and has to be more consistent with his fastball command to repeat his success in the upper levels. He was hit hard in three starts with Texas.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #16 prospect in 2001
  Dominguez went 1-6, 4.52 in the Dominican Summer League a year ago and made huge strides in the GCL this summer. Subero, his manager, thought he was the most talented of all the young power pitchers in the Western Division. He has a good, clean delivery and was clocked consistently at 93-94 mph. He touched 96 and offset his fastball with excellent deception on his changeup. At least one manager, though, felt Dominguez was too power-oriented.

• December, 2000 Scouting Report
  Dominguez went 1-6, 4.52 in the Dominican Summer League a year ago and made huge strides in the GCL this summer. Subero, his manager, thought he was the most talented of all the young power pitchers in the Western Division. He has a good, clean delivery and was clocked consistently at 93-94 mph. He touched 96 and offset his fastball with excellent deception on his changeup. At least one manager, though, felt Dominguez was too power-oriented.