BBB 2017 Top Prospect Countdown #29: Nick Solak
The
Yankees 2016 draft was all about first-round pick Blake Rutherford and to be
honest, the hype behind him is completely warranted. That being said, the team
selected a very nice player in the second-round out of a Louisville by the name
of Nick Solak. Solak checks in as our 29th ranked prospect and would
likely be higher if the Yankees' system wasn’t one of the deeper ones in all of the
game.
After
being drafted and signed just last season, Solak spent the entire campaign
playing for the Staten Island Yankees. His year went exceptionally well
offensively as we saw a sneak peak on what he’s made of. In 64 games with
Staten Island, Solak compiled an impressive slash line of .321/.412/.421/.833.
He isn’t known for his power and is more of a line drive singles hitter as he
hit just three homers and only 17 of his 77 hits were for extra bases. He also
swiped 10 bags and wasn’t caught once, so he picks his spot to use his speed
quite well.
Solak’s
scouting grades are not eye popping. He received a lot of comparisons to
another guy who has spent ample time on every Yankees prospect list, Rob
Refsynder. Solak, like I previously mentioned, is not going to wow you with his
power like Aaron Judge or Gary Sanchez and isn’t going to swipe as many bags as
Jorge Mateo will. But, given the opportunity, the guy can hit. According to MLB.com,
Solak was their 147th ranked player headed into the draft. Here is
his scouting scale:
Hit:
55
Power:
30
Run:
55
Arm:
40
Field:
50
Overall:
45
Projection
Although
Solak is already 22-years old, he isn’t very close to being ML ready. We’re
still unsure if he’ll be able to hold up at second base with his subpar glove
and even worse arm (though you don't need a great arm to play second base). He does, however, have a little experience playing
outfield, so that could be something he develops in the minors. Solak is likely
going to start his campaign with the Tampa Yankees and could very well end up
in the same spot he began.
Article
by: James Grande
Follow
me on Twitter; @The_Real_Grande
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