Chris Dominguez Stats & Scouting Report

AB	40
AVG	.175
OBP	.195
SLG	.4
HR	2

Full name Christopher Omar Dominguez
Born 11/22/1986 in Los Angeles, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Louisville
Debut 09/03/2014
Drafted in the 3rd round (86th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2009 (signed for $411,300).

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Dominguez's combination of size (6-foot-4, 235 pounds), power and arm strength is as imposing as any player in this draft. He hits tape-measure shots in batting practice and games, and he has four home run crowns to his credit (New England Collegiate League in 2006, Big East Conference and Cape Cod League in 2008, Big East with a school-record 25 in 2009). "You always worry that he's going to swing and miss, but he's going to hit 25-30 homers if he makes contact," an area scout says. While Dominguez continues to chase breaking balls, he has made strides as a hitter. His 55 strikeouts in 64 games this spring were a far cry from the 88 whiffs he had in 66 games as a redshirt freshman in 2006. He has quieted his approach and shortened his stroke without compromising his power. He doesn't possess an abundance of speed, but he has improved his conditioning and has enough quickness and instincts to have stolen 19 bases in 25 attempts. Scouts still wonder how dominant Dominguez might be on the mound after he showed a mid-90s fastball as a freshman reliever, but he doesn't want to pitch and hasn't taken the mound in the least two years. His arm is an asset at third base, and he has the hands and reactions for the position. He made 23 errors this spring and his range is fringy, so he's not a lock to stay at the hot corner. The Rockies thought they had an agreement with Dominguez when they selected him in the fifth round last year as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he ultimately declined to sign. He'll likely go a round or two earlier this time around.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A power-hitting third baseman with the arm strength of a big league closer, Dominguez did enough damage in the California League in the first two months last year to earn a midseason promotion to Double-A Richmond. But after he started fast as Richmond's cleanup hitter, his lack of selectivity got exploited by more advanced pitchers and he hit just .213/.239/.353 in the second half. Dominguez has the most raw power in the system but is prone to overswinging and chasing pitches. He has a dead-pull approach and doesn't keep his hands back well against breaking balls. Dominguez doesn't have superlative range but can play deeper than most third basemen because of his cannon arm and handles anything within his reach. He played some first base in instructional league, too. Dominguez has below-average speed and range but moves better than most 240- pounders. For a big man, he has impressive stamina and wants to play every inning of every game. If Dominguez doesn't make enough contact to reach the majors, the Giants always could stick him on the mound. It wouldn't be the first time vice president of player personnel Dick Tidrow got his mitts on a strong-armed infielder. Before that happens, Dominguez will give Double-A another shot this year.
After helping lead Louisville to the 2007 College World Series, Dominguez finished a fine college career in 2009 with 61 home runs, second all-time at Louisville, and a school-record 218 RBIs. He arrived with an uppercut swing that suited him in college but led to a lot of strikeouts and didn't put him in position to handle breaking balls. He made changes last year and competed better against offspeed stuff, but still struck out once per 4.2 at-bats in low Class A. He also hit 21 home runs--second to Brandon Belt in the system--and led the South Atlantic League with 101 RBIs. Dominguez led the league in games played and at-bats, too, and maintained his energy level over the hot summer despite his stocky build. Dominguez is an average runner and isn't blessed with tremendous range at third base, but he can play two steps deeper because his arm strength is off the charts. A rival league manager called it the strongest arm he's ever seen from a minor league third baseman. He makes errors when he rushes things, though. Dominguez, who failed to sign with the Rockies in 2008 as a fifth-round pick, was a bit old for low Class A and will need to make progress quickly. Learning to lay off the high fastball will be among the keys to establishing himself as a future major leaguer. He'll try to make adjustments in 2011, perhaps with a jump to Double-A.
For years, the Giants drafted with a bias against big-bodied softball types. But things are changing under scouting director John Barr, and Dominguez is more than a one-dimensional slugger. A two-time Big East Conference player of the year, he turned down the Rockies as a sophomore-eligible fifth-round pick in 2008 before signing for $411,300 as a third-rounder last June. He has prodigious raw power that helped him win four conference or summer league home run titles while at Louisville, and he set a school record with 25 last spring. He's an all-or-nothing hitter with a big swing reminiscent of Troy Glaus', but Dominguez will need to make his swing more direct to the ball if he's going to make enough contact. He hit seven homers in his first month of pro ball before pitchers realized they could get him out with breaking balls. His arm strength is just as impressive as his power, and he threw in the mid-90s as a freshman reliever in college. San Francisco hopes he can stay at third base despite his lack of range and agility, but he made six errors in 31 pro games there. He also saw time at first base, which could be his future home. Dominguez likes to be the aggressor, even on the basepaths, where he showed enough quickness and instincts to steal 12 bases in 14 attempts. He's already 23, so he may spend his first full season in high Class A, where he could put up huge power numbers in the hitter's haven that is the California League.

Minor League Top Prospects

Dominguez stuck around San Jose for just two months before moving up to Double-A Richmond. That was plenty of time to show off one of the biggest bats and strongest arms in the Cal League. Dominguez generates tremendous bat speed to hit for power to all parts of the ballpark. The problem is that he swings and misses frequently, and rerouting his hands to create a more direct path to the ball this year didn't help. He still needs to control the strike zone better and avoid chasing breaking pitches. He lacks quickness and range, but Dominguez moves well enough that opponents can't just bunt on him. His cannon arm allows him to play extremely deep at third base and still make plays. "He has maybe one of the best arms I've ever seen," Skeels said. "He could be playing by the concession stand and he's not out of position."
Two outstanding tools and a solid full season made Dominguez a favorite among league managers and several scouts. He led the league in RBIs (101) and total bases (255) while ranking second in homers (21) and extra-base hits (57). Dominguez won four consecutive conference and summer league home run titles in college and can hit a ball as far as almost anyone. His powerful swing has some length to it, however, and polished pitchers can take advantage. He did show more patience than he did in his 2009 pro debut, though at 23 he was also old for the SAL. He also has well above-average arm strength and moves well for a big man, giving him a chance to stick at third base. His speed on the basepaths is fringe average. "He hits the ball as hard as anyone I've ever managed," Machemer said. "He needs to shore up his strike zone, but he has average tools across the board with two that are off the charts."
Dominguez is quite similar to Mendonca, and finished right behind him in the NCAA Division I home race with 25 this spring. He has even more raw power and the same propensity for striking out (57 times in 181 at-bats). Though he has a tendency to swing through breaking balls, he hits tape-measure shots when he connects. His arm strength stands out as much as his power, and Dominguez was clocked in the mid-90s as a freshman reliever at Louisville. "You could mention any arm at third base in the last 40 years of this game," Trebelhorn said, "and he's comparable to any of them." A big man, Dominguez lacks speed and his range is below average at third base, so he may end up in the outfield.