Ever since Amed Rosario joined the Yankees, he and Jasson Domínguez have been attached at the hip.
“When I’m going to look for one or both of them, they’re usually together,” bench coach Brad Ausmus said, noting that the Dominican natives sit on the far side of the Yankees’ dugout when they’re not playing.
Rosario, Domínguez and other Latino Yankees call that end of the bench “La Esquina Caliente,” or “The Hot Corner.” It displays a hand-written sign, which features the injured Oswaldo Cabrera’s penmanship and Domínguez’s Pictionary-esque attempt at drawing flames.
The infectious and animated Rosario has become “The Hot Corner’s” ringleader, frequently racing out of the dugout, throwing his arms up and yelling whenever there’s something worth celebrating. Others can only try to keep up.
“It never gets too quiet in the dugout with him. He’s always screaming,” Domínguez told the Daily News. “When we score, he runs out of the dugout. He keeps the energy up.”
vibes guy amed rosario? pic.twitter.com/Rld2BcSn4p
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 31, 2025
José Caballero, who also frequents “The Hot Corner” and previously played with Rosario in Tampa Bay, said that his past and present teammate has always been this way.
“The energy that he brings every single day is not matchable. I haven’t seen anyone that has that energy,” Caballero said. “He just brings that fire that every team needs. It’s cool to play with him because whenever you get a hit, you know for a fact that you’re gonna have someone pumped about it.”
Acquired from the Nationals on July 26 because he rakes against southpaws, the right-handed Rosario has proudly taken on the additional responsibility of hype man since putting on the pinstripes.
The way he sees it, baseball is a hard sport with a grueling schedule. Good vibes can go a long way.
“It’s a game of failure, and sometimes you don’t know what a teammate can be going through,” Rosario said. “If I can just provide some energy, some cheering, some laughs, and help bring out the best in them by creating a light and enjoyable atmosphere, I sure wanna do that.”
“The Hot Corner” keeps Rosario busy, as the utilityman has totaled just seven starts and 31 plate appearances since becoming a Yankee.
Last week, he made consecutive starts for the Bombers for the first time, as the Orioles threw lefties Cade Povich and Trevor Rogers on Sept. 18 and 19, respectively.
Prior to that, Rosario’s last appearance of any kind came in a Sept. 14 start against Boston lefty Garrett Crochet.
“He seems to really thrive in it and feed off the role even,” Aaron Boone said after Rosario took the Red Sox ace deep that night. “He works really hard behind the scenes at making sure he’s staying sharp physically and everything. But he’s ready for that lefty at-bat, and he brings a certain energy to the field with him every day that’s been cool.”
Boone, who has mentioned that the Yankees tried to acquire Rosario in past years, went on to say, “I like him on our team.”
Amed Rosario (6)
Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Pitcher: Garrett Crochet
Date: 09/14/2025 pic.twitter.com/aizwlytBXA— Yankees Home Runs (@NYY_HR) September 15, 2025
Rosario’s limited usage has also made him an accessible mentor to Domínguez, who has seen his playing time dwindle as the season has progressed.
An everyday player with the Mets and Guardians earlier in his career, Rosario learned from veterans such as Robinson Canó, José Bautista, José Reyes and José Ramírez. Now he’s trying to pay their generosity forward.
“I was a young player who got to debut early in my career, too,” Rosario said when asked about Domínguez. “When I did get to the big leagues, I had the pleasure to spend a lot of time with superstar, veteran players who took me under their wing and helped me navigate those [early] years. So I can see myself a lot in him.”
Boone said that he’s noticed Rosario, 29, having a positive influence on Domínguez, 22, with the Yankees counting on both players to impact their bench this postseason. The former’s enthusiastic acceptance of a reserve role over the past few seasons has provided a shining example for The Martian, who entered the season as the Yankees’ everyday left fielder but has only started four games this month.
“Experience is a great teacher, and Rosie’s got some experience,” Ausmus said. “He went from a starting shortstop into more of a utility or platoon role. I’m not saying that’s where JD is headed, but relating those experiences to JD certainly could help him with his approach to the game on a daily basis.”
Domínguez already feels the tutelage is paying off, as he said Rosario has helped him learn how to stay ready for various opportunities when he’s not in the lineup. Domínguez, hitting .294 this September despite irregular playing time, has also noticed how seriously Rosario sticks to his routine and takes care of his body, even if his starts are far and few between.
“He still prepares himself like he’s playing every day,” Domínguez said, “but he also understands his role now, and he’s trying to do what’s best on that day to help the team.”
and keeping the club’s energy up. (Photo by Gary Phillips/New York Daily News)
Of course, Rosario’s most important job remains crushing lefty pitching.
He’s done that with flying colors this season, hitting .307 with an .833 OPS against southpaws.
“He’s turned into kind of a lefty killer,” Boone said.
Rosario, who has an .801 career OPS against left-handers, has always fared better against them than righties. However, he feels his success against left-handers has improved as he’s matured.
Rosario, a candidate to start on Friday with the Yankees facing Rogers again, added that his maturity has helped him warm up to life as a backup over the last few seasons. He knows that that outlook has kept him in the “baseball business,” he said.
It’s also made a strong impression on his peers, a plus for a Yankees team that was just looking for a hitter who could help them in the matchup game.
“I still do it with the same love and the same passion that I had for this game when I was playing every day,” Rosario said.
