Around the Empire: Yankees news - 9/9/23

New York Post | Jon Heyman: The Yankees won five of their first six games with Jasson Domínguez and Austin Wells on the squad, and the Martian blasted off with a 176 wRC+ in his first week in MLB. Despite the early returns, there were at least a few within the Yankee brain trust that were hesitant to promote either player to the bigs, and while Wells has struggled to put it together at the plate, nobody can deny the attitude adjustment fresh blood has made with the team.

Bleacher Report | Zachary D. Ryman: Speaking of Domínguez, the top prospect has fit right in to the heart of the Yankee order, hitting third in six of his seven career MLB contests. The early Statcast returns are encouraging, and while MLB pitchers will inevitably find weaknesses to exploit, Domínguez’s track record for adjustments indicates he should be able to handle that. In particular, the Martian has shown an ability to cut down on strikeouts while at the minor league level, a huge piece in becoming a legitimate MLB threat.

Sports Illustrated | Tom Verducci: Gerrit Cole is in the pole position for AL Cy Young, which would be the first such award of his career. After what was a mediocre season by his standards in 2022, the righthander ramped up both fastball command and the shape of his primary pitch, turning it into an even deadlier weapon than it’s been over his nine-year career. There’s still four starts left to make this season and something could go wrong, but behind that heater, Cole’s case for the Cy Young is a strong one.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: It’s going to be one of the driving questions for the Yankees in the offseason: what do we do with Gleyber Torres? The second baseman heads into his walk year, and after being on the trading block last season, the Yankees are expected to at least hear offers on Gleyber. In the same breath, time may be running out to ink Torres to an extension, but with a roster chock full of youngsters, the Yankees will need a couple of players that can raise the floor in the event those rookies and sophomores take steps back.

Finally, as noted last night, Luis Severino was pulled early from his start on Friday night with a side injury.