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Physical Description:
Athletic, sturdy frame. Filled out for his age. Thick lower
half. Lost 25 pounds between his draft year and first full pro
season. Some remaining projection, mainly in his upper body, and
needs to add strength still.
Hit: Starts
open with his hands by his chest. Utilizes a very slight leg
lift as a timing device. Advanced hit tool. Really strong feel
for hit. Has bat speed and a very fluid, compact swing.
Two-handed finish. Good barrel control. Advanced approach for
his age. Willing to use all fields. Good separation in his
swing. Makes good swing decisions and rarely expands the zone.
Will use all fields and does not try to do too much.
Consistently makes solid contact. Has shown the ability to turn
on velocity up in the zone already. Potential plus hit tool.
Power: Average raw power. In-game power is
still developing, but should get to average also. Has shown the
ability to impact the baseball. Power potential is somewhat
limited by swing path, which is more designed for hard line
drives.
Run: Average speed. Has gotten
faster in pro ball thanks to efforts in remaking his body. Solid
baserunning instincts.
Field: Solid
range, soft hands. Can be robotic at times and a little stiff.
Comfortable charging the ball and throwing on the run. Has a
chance to stick at second base but will never be a standout
defender. Played shortstop in high school but moved to second
base after signing. Potential fringe-average defender.
Arm: Fringe-average arm strength.
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Career Notes: Mother was a
four-time All-American softball player at Fresno State. First
came onto Red Sox radar because of Fresno State connection
between his mother and signing scout Josh Labandeira. Brother
plays baseball at Cal Poly-SLO after transferring from Boise
State when that school cut its baseball program. Had shoulder
surgery before his junior year and was limited to DH duty for
the season while his shoulder healed. Selection in the first
round surprised many and defied conventional talent rankings,
but Red Sox amateur scouting department was convinced both that
he would have been more widely regarded as a first-round talent
with a full senior season and that he would not have been
available with the team’s next pick in the third round (due to
forfeiting second-round pick). Was added to the Club Player Pool
very late in the 2020 season, getting roughly 10 days at the
Alternate Training Site, where he impressed with quality at-bats
against much older competition—he noted that the first pitch he
saw, a 98-mph fastball, was likely 10 mph faster than any pitch
he had ever faced. Participated in the 2020 Fall Instructional
League. Participated in the 2021 Fall Performance Program.
Participated in 2022 Winter Warm-Up. Entered the 2022 season as
a consensus top-50 prospect in the game.
Summation: Potential everyday second baseman. Ceiling
of an all-star and potential batting champion. Has the most
advanced hit tool in the system and one of the most polished in
all of minor league baseball. Potential for a plus hit tool and
average power. Outstanding makeup and work ethic. Does not
project to add much value defensively. Bat would be more
valuable at second base, but will play pretty much anywhere if
he is unable to stick there. Injury history is somewhat
concerning, but has stayed healthy since he joined the
organization.
Links
Red Sox select Nick Yorke with 17th overall pick (6.10.20)
Video from Pawtucket (9.22.2020)
Scout Chatter (11.24.2020)
Scouting Report Update (3.10.2021)
Notes from the Field (5.15.2022) |
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