Nick Banks
| AB | 2228 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .259 |
| OBP | .315 |
| SLG | .39 |
| HR | 50 |
- Full name Nicholas Matthew Banks
- Born 11/18/1994 in Tomball, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Texas A&M
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Drafted in the 4th round (124th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2016 (signed for $500,000).
View Draft Report
After an excellent sophomore season at Texas A&M and a summer where he led USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team in batting average and on-base percentage, Banks was considered one of the top college outfielders in the draft class. But Banks has plummeted down draft boards with his struggles as a junior. A back injury early in the year didn't help and Banks pressed after his slow start, getting too pull-happy. He's at his best when he's using the whole field but his pull-heavy approach saw his average fall without a corresponding jump in his power. Banks has a right fielder's arm, plenty of range for the position and average speed. But the concerns about his offense could prevent him from turning into the prototypical right field slugger.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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TRACK RECORD: Banks won MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament after hitting two home runs in the championship-clinching victory over Florida. He signed with the Nationals for $500,000 as a fourth-round pick. After slowly moving through the lower minors, Banks won MVP of the high Class A Carolina League all-star game in 2019 and received a promotion to Double-A, where he hit. 288/.358/.410 in 45 games.
SCOUTING REPORT: Banks is a line-drive hitter who makes plenty of contact. His plate discipline is iffy at times and he has had to work to use his legs in his swing better, limiting his power production to fringe-average, although he does hit a lot of doubles. He has some pull power and shows glimpses of it in games. Banks is a capable defender at all three outfield spots. He primarily plays the corners and is a smart runner who uses his instincts to cover ground in the outfield and be an efficient basestealer.
THE FUTURE: Banks profiles as a potential fourth outfielder. He should begin 2021 in Triple-A and has a chance to make his major league debut during the season. -
TRACK RECORD: After winning MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament and helping Texas A&M reach super regionals that year, the athletic Banks joined the Nationals system with a $500,000 bonus. In 2019, he was MVP of the high Class A Carolina League All-Star Game, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer to lead the Northern Division to a win in Frederick.
SCOUTING REPORT: Banks has a calm stance at the plate and puts together quality at-bats. He's wellrounded enough to play all three outfield positions. He's an above-average runner who hasn't shown big power in games but is capable of improving his home run totals. The Nationals believe his future floor is as a good extra player in the major leagues, and that he could develop into something more than that. He played in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .250/.295/.464 with three home runs in 56 at-bats for the Surprise Saguaros.
THE FUTURE: In the AFL, Banks struck out 20 times and drew three walks. He could use improvement in his strike-zone judgment, but he has an intriguing power/speed combination and at age 25 will be close to the big leagues. -
Banks twice played for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team and led the club in batting average and on-base percentage in 2015. But the Preseason All-American struggled as a junior at Texas A&M, slowed in part by an early-season back injury. The Nationals drafted him in the fourth round anyway and sent him to short-season Auburn for his professional debut. Banks has a smooth lefthanded swing and, at his best, uses the middle of the field to hit. He has average raw power, but his approach is more geared toward hitting line drives and he will need to tap into his power more as he ascends to higher levels. He hasn't learned to pull the ball with authority yet and strikes out too much for a non-power hitter. He primarily played right field in college, where his average speed and solid arm strength were good fits. He is a capable defender and saw time in both outfield corners with Auburn. If Banks can recapture his previous form, he could develop into a regular. He'll start that process in 2017 with low Class A Hagerstown.
Draft Prospects
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After an excellent sophomore season at Texas A&M and a summer where he led USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team in batting average and on-base percentage, Banks was considered one of the top college outfielders in the draft class. But Banks has plummeted down draft boards with his struggles as a junior. A back injury early in the year didn't help and Banks pressed after his slow start, getting too pull-happy. He's at his best when he's using the whole field but his pull-heavy approach saw his average fall without a corresponding jump in his power. Banks has a right fielder's arm, plenty of range for the position and average speed. But the concerns about his offense could prevent him from turning into the prototypical right field slugger.
Scouting Reports
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TRACK RECORD: Banks won MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament after hitting two home runs in the championship-clinching victory over Florida. He signed with the Nationals for $500,000 as a fourth-round pick. After slowly moving through the lower minors, Banks won MVP of the high Class A Carolina League all-star game in 2019 and received a promotion to Double-A, where he hit. 288/.358/.410 in 45 games.
SCOUTING REPORT: Banks is a line-drive hitter who makes plenty of contact. His plate discipline is iffy at times and he has had to work to use his legs in his swing better, limiting his power production to fringe-average, although he does hit a lot of doubles. He has some pull power and shows glimpses of it in games. Banks is a capable defender at all three outfield spots. He primarily plays the corners and is a smart runner who uses his instincts to cover ground in the outfield and be an efficient basestealer.
THE FUTURE: Banks profiles as a potential fourth outfielder. He should begin 2021 in Triple-A and has a chance to make his major league debut during the season. -
TRACK RECORD: Banks won MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament after hitting two home runs in the championship-clinching victory over Florida. He signed with the Nationals for $500,000 as a fourth-round pick. After slowly moving through the lower minors, Banks won MVP of the high Class A Carolina League all-star game in 2019 and received a promotion to Double-A, where he hit. 288/.358/.410 in 45 games.
SCOUTING REPORT: Banks is a line-drive hitter who makes plenty of contact. His plate discipline is iffy at times and he has had to work to use his legs in his swing better, limiting his power production to fringe-average, although he does hit a lot of doubles. He has some pull power and shows glimpses of it in games. Banks is a capable defender at all three outfield spots. He primarily plays the corners and is a smart runner who uses his instincts to cover ground in the outfield and be an efficient basestealer.
THE FUTURE: Banks profiles as a potential fourth outfielder. He should begin 2021 in Triple-A and has a chance to make his major league debut during the season. -
TRACK RECORD: After winning MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament and helping Texas A&M reach super regionals that year, the athletic Banks joined the Nationals system with a $500,000 bonus. In 2019, he was MVP of the high Class A Carolina League All-Star Game, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer to lead the Northern Division to a win in Frederick.
SCOUTING REPORT: Banks has a calm stance at the plate and puts together quality at-bats. He’s wellrounded enough to play all three outfield positions. He’s an above-average runner who hasn’t shown big power in games but is capable of improving his home run totals. The Nationals believe his future floor is as a good extra player in the major leagues, and that he could develop into something more than that. He played in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .250/.295/.464 with three home runs in 56 at-bats for the Surprise Saguaros.
THE FUTURE: In the AFL, Banks struck out 20 times and drew three walks. He could use improvement in his strike-zone judgment, but he has an intriguing power/speed combination and at age 25 will be close to the big leagues. -
TRACK RECORD: After winning MVP of the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament and helping Texas A&M reach super regionals that year, the athletic Banks joined the Nationals system with a $500,000 bonus. In 2019, he was MVP of the high Class A Carolina League All-Star Game, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer to lead the Northern Division to a win in Frederick.
SCOUTING REPORT: Banks has a calm stance at the plate and puts together quality at-bats. He's wellrounded enough to play all three outfield positions. He's an above-average runner who hasn't shown big power in games but is capable of improving his home run totals. The Nationals believe his future floor is as a good extra player in the major leagues, and that he could develop into something more than that. He played in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .250/.295/.464 with three home runs in 56 at-bats for the Surprise Saguaros.
THE FUTURE: In the AFL, Banks struck out 20 times and drew three walks. He could use improvement in his strike-zone judgment, but he has an intriguing power/speed combination and at age 25 will be close to the big leagues.
