Remember the streams of quirky tweets you’ve been seeing all morning? Something along the lines of, “Jasson Dominguez is older than Juan Soto!” Sounds bonkers, right? Two Dominican baseball phenoms, both New York Yankees affiliates—Soto, the established superstar, and Dominguez, the hotshot rookie. But what if those tweets, in their whimsical absurdity, accidentally stumbled upon a truth even stranger than fiction?

Recent scandals across the Dominican baseball scene have unearthed a tangled web of age fraud, casting a shadow of doubt on player identities and birth certificates. This murky landscape, where handshake deals are made with pre-teens and “buscones” (trainers) orchestrating elaborate schemes, throws open the possibility that the ages we take for granted might be more fluid than we think.

The curious case of the Yankees’ age-defying prospects: Could Jasson Dominguez be Juan Soto’s senior?

Enter Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees’ 20-year-old wunderkind, and Juan Soto, the 25-year-old MVP contender recently acquired in a blockbuster trade. The mere suggestion that Dominguez might be older flips the script. Could the supposed prodigy actually be Soto’s contemporary, or even older?

The Athletic’s recent in-depth report paints a grim picture of the Dominican baseball scene. Age discrepancies are back on the rise, with unofficial handshake deals happening as early as 12 and 13. Jasson Dominguez, one of the players whose age has come under scrutiny (without direct name-calling), is described as “perhaps the best player among those whose age was recently drawn into question.”

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Now, before you grab your pitchforks and accuse the Pinstripes of knowingly harboring a fraudulent phenom, remember the complexities at play. The Dominican system breeds desperation. It is a country that has been stamped to have middle-income on paper—one that ought to be desperate on the streets. For their kids, baseball isn’t just a game; it’s a ladder out of the shadows. And inflating their age can mean the difference between a life-changing bonus and being overlooked.

Furthermore, MLB’s vetting process only applies to players within a year of eligibility. Those pre-teen handshake deals operate in a shadowy underworld, beyond the league’s reach. And even when discrepancies are flagged, the consequences are often minimal. Players might face suspensions, but their careers rarely suffer long-term damage.

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So, to answer the question, is Jasson Dominguez older than Juan Soto? We don’t know for sure. The truth, if it ever emerges, could rewrite the narratives of these two extraordinary players and expose the ugly underbelly of a sport desperately clinging to the dream of fair play. Now, to focus on the brighter side of things, forget legalities, and let’s celebrate raw talent: a head-to-head of the two Dominican phenoms.

Talent that trumps paperwork: A Dominican showdown

Soto, the reigning MVP contender, feasted on 568 at-bats in 2023, carving out a hefty 5.5 WAR (wins above replacement). He crushed 35 homers, drove in 109 runs, and sported a cool .930 OPS. Think sizzling fajitas—seasoned, potent, and leaving you wanting more.

Dominguez, on the other hand, was just getting his taste of the big leagues, taking only 31 at-bats. Yet, despite this appetizer-sized sample, he sizzled. His .258 average, 4 homers, and .980 OPS hints at the firecracker potential brewing just below the surface. Imagine a jalapeño popper: small but packing a powerful punch. Now, comparing Soto’s feast to Dominguez’s snack might seem unfair. But look closer.

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Their OPS+, a stat adjusted for ballpark and league context, tells a fascinating story. Both Dominguez and Soto boast a sizzling 158 OPS+, meaning they were 58% better than the average MLB hitter, even with their vastly different sample sizes. This Dominican duo was sure to keep Yankee Stadium sizzling hot—but with the age fraud uncertainty, nothing can be said for sure as of now.