Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke is looking to 'find consistency' in 2024
The Red Sox organization is one that finds itself rich with middle infield prospects. At the upper levels, there are the likes of Nick Yorke, Marcelo Mayer, Chase Meidroth, and Eddinson Paulino. At the lower levels, there is also plenty of depth on their way up with names like Yoeilin Cespedes, Franklin Arias, Kristian Campbell, and more.
Taking into account the return from the Atlanta Braves in the Chris Sale trade, middle infielder Vaughn Grissom, he becomes another piece of the middle infield puzzle. In part, both Yorke and the organization thought now would be a good time to try another position, left field.
“I saw we had the trade for Vaughn,” Yorke said. “I brought it up to them and they said they were already thinking about it themselves, to just give me another path to get to the big leagues.”
Adding left field to the repertoire does not mean he won’t play second base anymore. In fact, he will still likely get the majority of his reps in the infield. He says the plan is for him to play left field just two or three times a week, though that could change based on where he’s needed most.
Coming into the year, Yorke had only played second base in his professional career. Left field isn’t completely foreign to him though, as he wasn’t always an infielder growing up.
“I grew up playing center field, up until I got drafted,” Yorke said. “Going up through high school, growing up through little league, travel ball, and whatnot I actually played a lot of outfield.”
After spending all of last season with the Portland Sea Dogs at the AA level, he was again assigned to the Sea Dogs to start the 2024 season. It may have come as a slight surprise to be asked to repeat the level, though Yorke just wants the chance to play.
“They thought I could get the most daily reps here in Portland,” Yorke said. “They were incorporating my fielding into it as well and that factors in, but at the end of the day it’s not up to me. If it was my choice I’d be in the big leagues, right? but that’s just not how it works.”
In terms of what is a part of Yorke’s player plan for helping him take the next step, it’s about doing damage in the zone.
“It’s all correlated to the swing and miss in the zone,” Yorke said. “I feel like I’m taking a lot of good swings right now. If I can keep that in check, everything else takes care of itself.”
In terms of personal goals, Yorke is looking to replicate his 2021 season. In his first season in professional baseball, Yorke played in the Low-A and High-A levels. It was there he boasted a slash line of .325/.412/.516, with 14 HRs, an 11.6% walk rate, and an 18.3% strikeout rate.
“After my first year, I could always match those numbers,” Yorke said. “For me, it’s just about finding that consistency in it. Everyone has good days, everyone has bad days.”
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