Yorke ready to check another box of list of major league firsts
Nick Yorke had checked off multiple boxes in his first week in the major leagues, from getting his first hit, RBI and run scored to starting at several positions in the infield and outfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
When Cincinnati Reds righthander Fernando Cruz threw a 95.6-mph fastball on the first pitch of the fifth inning Sunday, Yorke drilled it 412 feet to left-center at Great American Ball Park for his first home run.
“It was pretty cool. I got a good pitch to start off the inning there and didn’t try to do too much with it,” Yorke told SportsNet Pittsburgh in an onfield interview after the 2-0 win. “Early on the past couple games, I’ve been hitting the ball hard, a lot on the ground, so to get one up there felt good.”
The 6-foot, 200-pound Yorke said he knew it was gone on contact, and the ball was clocked at an exit velocity of 108.9 mph. Not only was it the hardest hit of his young MLB career but 2 mph faster than Oneil Cruz hit his 442-bomb to the smokestacks in center field.
“After that one, I told him, ‘I don’t think I’ll ever hit one up where you hit it,’” Yorke said he told Cruz, “but I’ll take mine.”
The Pirates will take Yorke’s production at the plate, as he’s batting .273 (6 for 22) with a .713 OPS through his first six games, with six strikeouts and a walk.
“He’s made a really good impression,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Yorke, ranked their No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline. “This kid can hit. The thing that I really like about him is that he drives the ball in the middle of the field. You can learn to pull the ball when you get to the big leagues, but his approach is gap to gap. That’s an important thing.”
Yorke’s bat was a big reason why the Pirates acquired him from the Boston Red Sox for right-hander Quinn Priester in a swap of former first-round picks at the trade deadline in late July. But they also love the 22-year-old’s versatility, which has allowed him to start four games at second base, one at third and one in left field. Yorke played seven games at shortstop at Triple-A Indianapolis, though he’s yet to play there for the Pirates.
Yorke’s defense has allowed Shelton to get creative with his lineups given their glut of second basemen. Shelton started Nick Gonzales at shortstop the past two games and has used both Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jared Triolo at third base. Yorke twice helped prevent the Reds from reaching second base, as he was on the receiving end of catcher Joey Bart’s throw to catch Jonathan India on an attempted steal in the sixth and turned a double play to end the seventh.
“He’s a great hitter, a great player, plays really hard so he’s an awesome teammate,” said fellow Pirates rookie Billy Cook, who also was acquired at the trade deadline and played with Yorke at Indianapolis. “I think he’s going to be a great teammate to have, not just for me but playing behind pitchers and in the box. He’s going to contribute in a lot of ways.”
After making his major league debut at St. Louis, Yorke was early anticipating the chance to check another box off his list of MLB firsts when the Pirates play host to the Milwaukee Brewers in their final homestand of the season at PNC Park.
“No doubt. I’m really excited to get in front of the home fans, so I’m looking forward to it,” Yorke said. “I was just told it’s a lot of fun, a really cool park and the fans are amazing. I’m just really excited to go play in front of them.”
AP
