I never thought I’d say I’m happy the Pirates traded Quinn Priester.
On this edition of the Pirates’ Prospect Update series, we take a look at newly acquired Nick Yorke, and his journey to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
A former first round pick, Yorke had committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona, before the Boston Red Sox selected him with the 17th overall pick in 2020. Because of the cancelation of the Minor League season during the Covid-Pandemic, Yorke didn’t debut for the Red Sox organization until the fall of 2020, when he took part in their fall instructional league.
2024 saw him start the season with Double-A Portland, before seeing a promotion to Triple-A Worcester after just 45 games. His time in Worcester saw him hitting .310 with 6 homers, and 45 total hits. At the trade deadline, the Red Sox traded Yorke to the Pirates for pitcher Quinn Priester, and Yorke was assigned to Indianapolis. In his time with the Indians, he picked up the where he left off and is currently hitting .357 with an OBP of .418. He also has 12 doubles with Indy, despite only being with the club for 27 games.
Nick Yorke is having an August with the @indyindians pic.twitter.com/fj0JvWQtMx
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) August 12, 2024
Another middle infielder for the Pirates’ organization to develop, Yorke originally caught the attention of scouts for his sweet swing, fast hand speed, and impeccable eye-hand coordination. A below-average arm will likely keep him in the infield, but when the Red Sox moved him to left field, he performed better than expected, a mix that the Pirates will likely continue using.
Through ups and downs and some tweaks to his batting mechanics, Yorke has certainly showed improvements. Though not a power hitter, he is in command when at the plate, lifting balls and hammering them with impressive exit velocity. A slightly above average defender with a weaker arm likely doesn’t make him an everyday starter, but a capable utility man he could develop into.
Nick Yorke is looking like Dustin Pedroia out there pic.twitter.com/8Yzp4jM47J
— Shawn (@PalmerDesigns_) August 2, 2024
This was a big move for the Pirates at the deadline this year, and if he doesn’t see Pittsburgh this season, he’s likely to be called up next year, especially with second base being a position in need of some competition.
Nick Yorke is currently the Pirates’ number six ranked prospect.