Pittsburgh Pirates prospects who should be promoted to the major leagues immediately

Nick Yorke

Along with Billy Cook, the Pirates also acquired the Boston Red Sox’s 2020 first-round pick Nick Yorkeat the deadline. He was traded to Pittsburgh for another former first-round pick, Quinn Priester. Like Cook, Yorke was also performing well with the Red Sox’s Double-A and Triple-A teams.

Between the two levels, he was hitting .278/.363/.422 with a .357 wOBA, and 116 wRC+. Yorke had a strikeout rate below 20% at 18.6%, along with an 11.5% walk rate. The only negative to his game was his .144 isolated slugging. Yorke did exceptionally well for the Sox’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a .898 OPS, .402 wOBA, and 136 wRC+ in 169 plate appearances.

Yorke has appeared in 10 games with 35 at-bats for Triple-A Indianapolis (three walks, one iBB). In that time, he has 13 hits, four of which have been doubles. Yorke has struck out just five times. His wRC+ in the small sample size is 134, and his OPS is just over .900 at .911.

Yorke’s numbers under the hood are also promising. He has a whiff rate below 20% at 19.3% and is making hard contact on a consistent basis. His exit velocity clocks in at 91.2 MPH (the 19th best among any minor leaguer at A-Ball or Triple-A with at least 200 plate appearances) and 12 degree launch angle. His exit velo and launch angle are similar to that of Carlos Correa, Manny Machado, Ryan O’Hearn, Riley Greene, and Jurickson Profar this season.

Yorke is primarily a second baseman, but he has also played a handful of games in left field this season, including with the Red Sox and the Pirates minor league teams. The Pirates have also played him in center field once already at Indy. 

The Pirates lost Nick Gonzales to the 10-day IL, but helped resolve the position by acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa at the deadline. Still, Yorke could replace either Ji Hwan Bae or Jared Triolo on the active roster. Triolo may bring elite defense to multiple positions, but Yorke is no slouch with the glove, and Triolo has just a .557 OPS on the season. Bae has an OPS below .500 right now and his defense in center field has taken a step back from the second half of last season.