Nick Yorke Addresses Opportunity With Pirates
On a roster littered with young talent, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' more recently acquired players may be poised for a big role in 2025 season .
Pittsburgh acquired second baseman and outfielder Nick Yorke from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for former top-100 right-handed pitching prospect Quinn Priester at the 2024 trade deadline. Yorke was the Red Sox's No. 6 ranked prospect in their farm system by MLB Pipeline.
With the trade, Yorke noted how he was happy for the change of scenery and a chance to play for a team with young players who are on the rise.
"I'm happy for the opportunity over here, and I'm excited for it [with] all the young pitching and superstars like Oneil Cruz and all those guys," Yorke said. "Hopefully, I can add this heart and hustle to it. I'm going to show up every day and go 110 percent so hopefully whatever I could do out there will help."
Yorke had a brief stint in the big leagues at the end of the season, appearing in 11 games for the Pirates. The right-handed hitting utility player hit .216/.286/.378 with two home runs and five RBIs in 37 at-bats. His versatility was also on display, as he appeared in seven games at second base, two in right field and played one apiece at left field and third base.
Before reaching the big leagues, Yorke strung together a solid season in the minor leagues, hitting .303/.385/.449 with 12 home runs and 72 RBIs across Double-A and Triple-A for the Pirates and Red Sox. Of Yoke's 143 hits, 33 were doubles. He also stole 21 bases and walked 60 times.
Yorke's versatility is a boon for any team and could have him well-positioned him to have role for the Pirates in 2025. If he can bring his success at the plate from the minor leagues to the big leagues, he could be one of the missing pieces Pittsburgh needs if it's going to make any progress next season.
"I try to stay in the moment [and] work on my breath,' Yorke said. "It's easy to get ahead of yourself. It's easy to play [general manager]. It's easy to do all these things in this game because it's so mental. I've been working a lot on trying to take a step back [and] take a breath. Understand where you're at. Be happy where you're at [and] be happy where you're going and just try to be in the moment."
