March 26, 2023

By Shaelyn Winters

Centennial Sports Journalism

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Pitcher Michael Dominguez points to his family as the key in guiding his direction to the Toronto Blue Jays at the age of 18.

Dominguez received his education at Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa, Florida – a school which famous Major League Baseball alumni Tino Martinez, and former Blue Jay Fred McGriff also attended.

As his adolescent years came to a close in 2019, the young athlete made the difficult decision to defer his offer from Florida State University to pursue a professional baseball career.

“I mean, obviously it’s a great school, and I definitely had to think about it. But … I had a quick decision to make and I decided to start my career off earlier,” said the starter, who battled to a 5.02 earned run average in 80 2/3 innings last season.

“My family, they were behind me the whole way. They told me ‘Whatever you want to do, we’re behind you, 100 per cent.’”

Dominguez was surrounded by the game of baseball from an early age. He believes that the lessons he learned from both his father and older brother had a tremendous impact on his start in the sport.

“I mean, my dad I’d say is my first-ever pitching coach, basically. He was the one that taught me how to throw the ball, how to hit when I used to hit, so … he was definitely a big role model,” Dominguez said. “And my brother as well, he was good too, so he was always there to help me.”

Apart from his family, the starter admires former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, whom he was compared to throughout his formative years.

“One of the biggest guys I looked up to was (the famous closer). They even used to call me ‘Little Mariano’ when I used to pitch … so, definitely that was a big role model. I mean, his humbleness and just how he played the game.”

McGriff’s recent election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame has motivated the young pitcher to continue following his dreams.

“That’s a big thing for the school I went to. I mean, that’s a big name in baseball and it’s exciting to hear that,” Dominguez said. “He went to my high school where I graduated just like four years ago, so, I mean, that’s great and that pushes me to be another guy that can be on that board as well as an inductee.

“So, let’s see what happens, for sure.”