Top 10 OBP Second Base Prospects

10. Nick Yorke - Age 21.311 - Red Sox

Height: 5’11“ Weight: 200lb Bats: Right Throws: Right

Admittedly, I may be a little too low on Yorke, but I just haven’t seen enough to make me a bigger believer yet. The 19th overall selection in 2020 completely burst on to the scene in 2021 when he posted a massive .928 OPS in his debut season between Low and High A, but we haven’t seen anything close to that since. He started the following season back in High A, and the plan had been for him to continue playing well at a level he had already played well at, and then receive a quick promotion up to Double A after a couple months. However, it just never happened. He started his ‘22 season with a .680 OPS the first 34 games, and then suffered a myriad of injuries that kept him out a few weeks. He came back for a 10 game span before having to go on the IL again for a few weeks. When he returned in late July, he was able to finish out the season but still posted terrible numbers with a .689 OPS in 35 games. It was a total train wreck of a season that many attributed to injury issues, but I can’t totally blame the whole season on injuries.

The good news for Yorke is that he took part in the Arizona Fall League following his awful 2022 season, and he completely dominated. In 19 games (92 PA), he posted a .342/.424/.526 (.950 OPS) with 2 HR and good plate discipline. Not that anyone had come close to writing him off, but this reaffirmed that Yorke was still a great prospect who may have just had a lot of bad luck in ‘22. He came into the 2023 season hoping to continue that AFL success and remind everyone that 2022 was just a fluke. He had a challenge in front of him, starting the year in Double A at just age 21, but he started things off incredibly. His first 40 games (187 PA), Yorke posted an outstanding .290/.412/.490 (.902 OPS) with 6 HR and 16 XBH. Everyone was buying back in, but the success was short lived. The rest of season, he posted a .256/.314/.405 (.718 OPS) line with just 7 HR in 70 games (319 PA). The plate discipline took a sharp decline over that span too, particularly the walk%. The first 40 games, he walked at a robust 15.5% pace, and the following 70 games, a below average 6.9% pace. While his season line of .268/.350/.435 (.785 OPS) doesn’t look bad in a nutshell for a 21-year-old in Double A, it’s how he got there that makes it less appealing. Also, the 2.6% HR rate is very discouraging and leaves questions about just how much HR power potential he really has.

Suffice to say, Yorke’s had quite a roller coaster pro career thus far, but many still consider him an excellent prospect. While I’m probably a little more down on him than most, I still wouldn’t say I’ve given up on him. He’s still been young for his levels, and there’s enough tools there to be a good, possibly great player some day.

It remains to be seen if he’ll go back to Double A to start his season for a few weeks before quick promotion to Triple A, or if he’ll just start his season in Triple A, but regardless, he should spend most of his time at the Triple A level if all goes well. From there, if he’s put things back together or is the midst of one of his hot stretches, it’s possible he could reach the majors if there’s injury or ineffectiveness ahead of him on the major league roster. If he doesn’t have a total stinker of a season, there’s a solid chance he could head into 2025 as the favorite to land the starting 2B job. For a peak projection, at this time I have him at a .265/.330/.450 (.780 OPS) line with 20ish HR and 15 SB. It’s a big “prove it” year for him and I’m excited to see where he goes.

ETA: Late 2024/Early 2025