Embed from Getty Images After selecting a High School player in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft, The Detroit Tigers dipped back into the college ranks for they’re second round selection. Third baseman Nick Quintana, from the University of Arizona.
This was a very interesting pick for Al Avila and his scouting department. The pick was mixed for good reason. Nick Quintana can hit. 34 home runs in three seasons with the Wildcats, 17 doubles in each of those seasons while batting .346, forced his name up the draft board. That’s the good.
The bad, that’s easy. Nick Quintana struck out 20% of the time. That is too high for an advanced college bat. Also questions abound about Quintana’s ability to hit consistently with a wooden bat. in two seasons in the Cape Cod league Nick hit .230 and struck out 38% of the time in 69 games.
Nick Quintana, moved from shortstop to third base in college. He bulked up and moved to third base where his athleticism took off. with his glove and arm, Quintana grades as a 60 defender.
Detroit feels Quintana will hit. He will not hit .300 but .270-.280. He has pop in his bat and can drive in runs. He should fill out to be an above average player.
If he hits, Nick Quintana will be a middle of the batting order player. If not, Detroit will need to continue to look for third base help.
