Nick Longhi
| AB | 2398 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .274 |
| OBP | .336 |
| SLG | .409 |
| HR | 46 |
- Full name Nicholas Edward Longhi
- Born 08/16/1995 in Springfield, MA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: L
- School Venice
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Drafted in the 30th round (893rd overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2013 (signed for $440,000).
View Draft Report
Longhi was a two-way standout for nationally ranked Venice High, which he helped to a Florida 7-A championship and could go both ways for Louisiana State, as he has bumped the low 90s as a lefthander. For pro scouts, he's a corner bat prospect as the rare righthanded-hitting, lefthanded-throwing corner outfielder. Longhi has good raw power from the right side, but scouts debate his knack for hitting and ability to catch up to good velocity. He frequently hit in the lower half of a stacked Venice lineup. He's a below-average runner who could be limited to left field or first base down the line in spite of his strong arm. Scouts who believe in Longhi's bat see him as a potential top-five-rounds pick, but his signability could drop him down.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A two-way star in high school that was a viable prospect as a pitcher, Longhi played in just seven games for the Reds' Double-A team before he blew out his left elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery. He was off to a promising start with the team, going 6-for-19 with a home run and seven RBIs in those seven games. Cincinnati acquired him from Boston in exchange for $2.75 million in international bonus pool space. A righthanded hitter, Longhi was touted as one of the best pure hitters in Boston's system. He was a 30th-round pick by the Red Sox in 2013 and was signed to play at Louisiana State before getting $440,000 from Boston. Longhi has a flat bat plane that allows him to use the entire field. He hit just two home runs in all of 2016, and bounced back with six in 62 games at Double-A Portland before being traded to the Reds. A lefthanded thrower, he's limited to first base and corner outfield spots. Despite the surgery, he's expected to be ready for spring training. Longhi needs to develop more power to profile at power-oriented positions and his swing as of yet hasn't really allowed him to tap into his strength as he's geared to hit line drives more than lofting the ball. -
Longhi surprisingly signed as a 30th-round pick for $440,000 in lieu of attending LSU out of high school and has worked his way into becoming one of the best pure hitters in the Red Sox system. He has an accurate barrel and flat bat plane that allow him to hit line drives to all fields, and those traits make him a doubles machine. One of 11 minor leaguers to hit 40 doubles in 2016, Longhi nonetheless slugged just .393 as a primary first baseman at high Class A Salem. As a lefthanded thrower, he is limited to first base or the outfield, positions that require more thump than he has demonstrated as a pro with his five home runs per 650 plate appearances. Those power questions remain relevant after he hit just two homers in 2016. Some believe he will figure out how to loft the ball as he develops, while others are a bit more skeptical, seeing him as a complementary righthanded-hitting reserve. An answer may start to form in the second half of 2017, when warmer weather at Double-A Portland creates favorable conditions for hitters to drive the ball out of the park. -
After his pro introduction at short-season Lowell was shortened by a torn thumb ligament in 2014, Longhi validated the view that he is a player who can "flat-out hit," in the words of multiple evaluators. At low Class A Greenville in 2015, he posted impressive marks for an 19-year-old, hitting .281/.338/.403 while showing good hands that stayed inside the ball and allowed him to match the velocity of virtually any fastball. However, as a lefthanded thrower, Longhi is limited to corners that typically require not just an above-average to plus hit tool but also similar grades for power. To this point, however, Longhi has shown more of an all-fields line-drive swing than an approach that would lend itself to power (eight homers in 161 minor league games). He's both young enough and strong enough that power--and with it, projection as an everyday first baseman or left fielder--could emerge down the road, but with defensive tools that profile as fringy, it's hard to forecast a regular big league role for Longhi if he doesn't develop the loft needed to elevate his line drives over fences. -
Longhi's disappointment about slipping to the 30th round of the 2013 draft amid signability concerns was mitigated by the fact that the Springfield, Mass., native was taken by the team he grew up following. Longhi enjoyed a standout performance with short-season Lowell through mid-July, when he suffered a torn ligament in his thumb while running the bases. He has a sweet, righthanded swing with the ability to stay inside the ball and drive it to all fields, suggesting an above-average to plus hit tool. Though he didn't hit any homers in 2014, Longhi's strong wrists and forearms suggest the potential to deliver average to above-average power. As a lefthanded thrower, he's limited to first base or left field, but his offensive approach should carry him. Longhi will be a candidate to break with low Class A Greenville in 2015.
Draft Prospects
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Longhi was a two-way standout for nationally ranked Venice High, which he helped to a Florida 7-A championship and could go both ways for Louisiana State, as he has bumped the low 90s as a lefthander. For pro scouts, he's a corner bat prospect as the rare righthanded-hitting, lefthanded-throwing corner outfielder. Longhi has good raw power from the right side, but scouts debate his knack for hitting and ability to catch up to good velocity. He frequently hit in the lower half of a stacked Venice lineup. He's a below-average runner who could be limited to left field or first base down the line in spite of his strong arm. Scouts who believe in Longhi's bat see him as a potential top-five-rounds pick, but his signability could drop him down.
