Nate Gold
| AB | 2410 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .272 |
| OBP | .353 |
| SLG | .495 |
| HR | 119 |
- Full name Nathan Grant Gold
- Born 06/12/1980 in Bountiful, UT
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Gonzaga
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Drafted in the 10th round (292nd overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2002.
View Draft Report
Gonzaga 1B Nate Gold snuck up on everyone this year by smashing 33 home runs to lead NCAA Division I by a wide margin. He has always been a good power hitter, going back to his days at Treasure Valley (Ore.) JC, but has never put on a show like he's done this year. Scouts rate his power at 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. They also rate him as a one-tool, one-position player and probably won't risk drafting him before the 10th round
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Gold led NCAA Division I with 33 homers and was the West Coast Conference player of the year in 2002. He has carried the label of a one-dimensional slugger dating since his days at Treasure Valley (Ore.) Community College, but he has one other quality the Rangers covet: plate discipline. He draws comparisons to Jason Botts and Triple-A first baseman Jason Hart for his approach at the plate. Gold has 70 raw power on the 20-80 scouting scale, but has produced more doubles than homers since he turned pro. He's working on becoming less pull-conscious and driving the ball up the middle. In college, he was easy prey for pitchers who worked him away, but he has learned to lay off those pitches or take them to the opposite field. In the field, Gold is average at first base and got sporadic work at third base in the second half of 2003. He has an average arm, good feet and decent instincts for the hot corner, though it remains to be seen if he can handle the position on a daily basis. Gold will play primarily first base and see some time at third in high Class A this year. -
Gold led NCAA Division I in home runs in 2002 with 33 in just 56 games. If you're going to have one tool, power is a good one to have, and that's Gold's calling card. He has shown the ability to loft the ball, gets good extension in his uppercut swing and has as much raw power as any Rangers minor leaguer besides Mark Teixeira. How much of his power will translate from batting practice to the games is the question. He's big and strong, with a build the Major League Scouting Bureau compared to Lee Stevens'. Gold isn't a guy who will hit for high average because he tries to pull the ball too much, a weakness South Atlantic League pitchers exploited. However, the Rangers remain high on Gold, who figures to return to low Class A in 2003. He'll move slowly as he polishes his raw approach at the plate and his defensive play at first base.
