Pirates Call Up Top Prospect Nick Yorke
The Pittsburgh Pirates have promoted one of their top prospects in Nick Yorke to the major leagues on Monday afternoon.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Noah Hiles was the first to break the news. Yorke has joined the team in St. Louis for the start of a four-game set with the Cardinals.
The Pirates acquired Yorke from the Boston Red Sox at this year's trade deadline in exchange for right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester.
Yorke, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Pittsburgh's No. 6 prospect, played 40 games for Triple-A Indianapolis after joining the organization and hit .355/.431/.507 with two home runs, 26 RBIs and a 147 wRC+.
The Red Sox selected Yorke in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft with the No. 17 overall pick. He posted a .928 OPS during his first minor league season in 2021 with Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
Yorke was ranked as a top-60 farmhand in the sport by Pipeline, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus ahead of the 2022 campaign before regressing with a .668 OPS over 80 games with Greenville that year.
He spent the entirety of 2023 with Boston's Double-A affiliate in Portland, Maine, where he slashed .268/.350/.435 with 13 home runs, earning him a trip to the All-Star Futures Game in Seattle.
Yorke played 83 games and mashed 10 home runs with Portland and Triple-A Worcester this season before he was dealt to Pittsburgh.
He is a well-rounded hitter who has cut down on his strikeout rate considerably this season while showcasing an above-average hit tool and solid power.
Defensively, Yorke will likely slot in at either second base or one of the corner outfield spots for the time being. He was also Rule 5 eligible this offseason, giving the Pirates another incentive to add him to their 40-man roster and see what he can do in the big leagues to close out the campaign.
Pittsburgh has yet to announce a corresponding active roster move.
JACK MARKOWSKI