Marlins Top Prospects: #4 Matt Dominguez
In 2010, Dominguez earned All-Star honors helping Jacksonville repeat as Southern League champions. He went 3 for 4 in that summer's All-Star Game, belting two homeruns, and was awarded Most Valuable Player. Dominguez finished the season with a .252 average, .333 on-base percentage, and 14 homeruns to go along with a glove that many said was already Gold Glove-caliber, as Baseball America deemed him as the Best Defensive Infielder.
He was favored to win a big league spot entering spring training in 2011, but fell short. Dominguez batted only .190 and was sent back to minor league camp, where he fractured his elbow, costing him the first five weeks of season. When he finally joined New Orleans the third week of May, Dominguez posted strikingly similar numbers to those he had at Jacksonville, batting .258 with 12 homeruns, but his just .189 in 36 games at pitcher-friendly Zephyr Field. Still, he received his first big league call up in September, starting at third base in 13 of the final 21 games for the Marlins.
With the acquisition of Jose Reyes and subsequent move of Hanley Ramirez to third base, Dominguez is currently blocked at the Major League level. Still just 22 years old, he will be given more time to develop his bat with another year of seasoning at New Orleans.