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Physical Description: Sturdy
frame. Filled out for his age. Thick lower half. Lost 25 pounds
between his draft year and first full pro season. Minimal
remaining projection, but could stand to add some strength.
Hit: Typically has started open with his
hands by his chest. In 2022 Arizona Fall League, experimented
with starting with his hands up and bat pointed behind him
before getting to the same load position. Tried that in early
2023, but reverted back to his setup with his hands by his
shoulders and a quieter load. Utilizes a slight leg lift timing
device. Solid feel for hit. Has bat speed and a fluid, compact
swing. Two-handed finish. Good barrel control. Willing to use
all fields, but did get pull happy in 2022 at times as he
tinkered with his mechanics. Has shown the ability to turn on
velocity up in the zone already, but has become more susceptible
to breaking pitches down in the zone as he has moved through the
system. Has also had some struggles against fastballs in the
zone in the high minors. Still needs to show he can make
consistent contact against advanced pitching. Potential average
hit tool.
Power: Average raw power. Has
shown the ability to impact the baseball. Power potential is
somewhat limited by swing path, which is more designed for hard
line drives, but has shown the ability to drop the barrel and
drive the ball with backspin. Potential average in-game power.
Run: Fringe-average speed. Solid
baserunning instincts. Could get slower as he ages.
Field: Average range and has 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 the system's radar because of Fresno State connection
between his mother and scout Josh Labandeira. Brothers Joe and
Zach play college baseball at Cal Poly-SLO (after transferring
from Boise State when that school cut its baseball program) and
Grand Canyon University, respectively. Had shoulder surgery
before his junior year and was limited to DH duty that spring
while his shoulder healed. Selection in the first round
surprised many and defied public draft rankings, but Red Sox
amateur scouting department was convinced both that he would
have been regarded as a first-round talent but for the
cancellation of the spring season and that he would not have
been available with the team's next pick, in the third round.
Was added to the Club Player Pool very late in the 2020 season,
impressing with quality at-bats against much older competition
in about a week-and-a-half at the Alternate Training Site.
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. Struggled through multiple injuries in 2022, missing
roughly a week-and-a-half in May/June with turf toe, two weeks
in June due to back stiffness, and another two weeks in July
with left wrist soreness that briefly returned during the
Arizona Fall League, costing him about another week. Unclear to
what degree the injuries contributed to his down season, but
certainly contributed somewhat. Had a healthy, fairly uneventful
2023 in which he played in the Futures Game and regained some of
his prospect stock.
Summation: Potential
bat-first utility type. Ceiling of an everyday regular. 2022 was
a step back, but could partially be attributed to injuries and
he bounced back nicely in 2023. Tools are not loud, but if he
can retain his contact ability against advanced pitching, has
the potential for average hit and power tools. Strong makeup and
work ethic. Does not project to add much value defensively, but
has improved to the point where he can be passable at second
base. Bat would be more valuable at second base, but will
potentially play elsewhere if he is unable to stick there.
Injury history is somewhat concerning, and will need to be
monitored throughout his career.
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)
Countdown to Spring Training (3.13.2023)
Spring Training
Video (3.22.2023) |
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