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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. Some remaining
projection, mainly in his upper body, and 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.
Utilizes a slight leg lift timing device. Advanced hit tool.
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, but did get pull happy
in 2022 at times as he tinkered with his mechanics. Good
separation in his swing. Makes good swing decisions and rarely
expands the zone. 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
fringe-average at least. 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:
Fringe-average speed. Plays faster than his raw speed due to
baserunning instincts. Could get slower as he ages.
Field: Fringe-average range, but 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 more generally 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 popped up during the
Arizona Fall League, costing him about another week. Unclear to
what degree the injuries contributed to his down season at the
plate, but certainly contributed somewhat.
Summation: Potential bat-first utility type. Ceiling of
an everyday regular. 2022 was a step back, but could partially
be attributed to injuries. At his best, he has one of the most
advanced hit tools in the system and one of the most polished in
all of minor league baseball. Outstanding makeup and work ethic.
Does not project to add much value defensively. Bat would be
more valuable at second base, but will potentially play pretty
much anywhere if he is unable to stick there. Injury history is
somewhat concerning, and will need to be monitored after an
injury-plagued 2022.
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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