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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. Struggles
against left-handed pitching generally. 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.
Struggles to get to his power in-game due to swing-and-miss and
pitch recognition issues.
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 and
now splits time between the outfield corners. Profiles best in
left field, but should be able to play right field in limited
action.
Arm: Average arm strength.
Passable in right field, but profiles better in left field.
Accurate, but lacks carry at times. |
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Career Notes: Was committed to Maryland before
signing. 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. Spent significant
time on the development list in 2024.
Summation:
Potential organizational outfielder. Ceiling of an 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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