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Physical Description: Strong,
sturdy build with a thick lower half. Minimal remaining
projection; already physically developed for his age.
Hit: Starts crouched with an open stance. Long,
uppercut swing. Quick hands, above-average bat speed. Does a
good job utilizing his lower half. Will take what the pitcher
gives him and use all fields. Needs to improve pitch recognition
and cut down on swing-and-miss. Has a lot of trouble picking up
breaking balls, particularly from left-handers. Had a heavy
platoon split in 2019 (45 percent strikeout rate against LHP),
but 2021 splits were not as drastic, although both were in very
small sample sizes. Has an idea of what he wants to do at the
plate, but over-aggressiveness and swing-and-miss issues hold
him back. Potential below-average hit tool.
Power: Plus raw power. Shows easy power during batting
practice. Swing has loft and can drive the ball with backspin.
Power is most notable to the pull side. Needs to show the
ability to hit for power against left-handed pitchers. Potential
to develop above-average game power at his peak.
Run: Below-average speed. Aggressive on the basepaths.
Gets good jumps and reads.
Field: Reads
and first step need some development. Will not be a standout
defender, but should develop into an average outfielder at
least. Drafted as a center fielder, but moved to right field
full-time in 2019. Split time mainly between the corner outfield
spots in 2021. Profiles best in left field, but should be able
to play right field in limited action. |
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Arm: Average arm strength. Passable in right
field, but profiles better in left field. Accurate, but lacks
carry at times.
Career Notes: Committed
to Maryland before being drafted. Suffered a small fracture in
his left wrist during batting practice after signing but before
his in-game debut, missing all but the final two games of his
debut season. Had short IL stints in 2019 for a right ankle
contusion and a right hamstring strain. Participated in the 2018
and 2020 Fall Instructional League. Missed a month in 2021 with
another leg strain. Participated in 2022 Winter Warm-Up.
Summation: Potential emergency, up-and-down
outfielder. If he can make strides with his hit tool, has the
chance to develop into a bench outfielder who could be used
strategically against right-handed pitching. Bat-first profile
with enough power to carry him in a corner if his hit tool
develops. Has shown strong instincts and plays hard, getting the
most out of his tools. Approach and hit tool will determine his
future potential, as he really has to cut down on his
swing-and-miss or will be exposed by more advanced pitching.
Needs to show he can hit left-handed pitching and stay on the
field, as he has missed considerable time due to injury. Still
early in development having not faced much advanced pitching as
a high schooler in the Northeast.
Links
Spring Training Video of Nick Decker (3.21.19)
Scouting Report Update (4.24.20)
State of the System:
Outfielders (5.13.20)
Scouting Report Update (9.29.2020)
Scout Chatter (11.30.2020) |
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