Nick Schnell

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #23 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: After battling wrist and knee injuries in the past, Schnell was healthy for the first time in three pro seasons in 2020. Unfortunately, Schnell's healthy season was spent at home thanks to the pandemic.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Schnell leapt into the first round with an excellent senior year of high school where he showed plenty of home run power. That has yet to translate to pro ball, even though he shows plus raw power in batting practice. Schnell needs plenty of at-bats against lefthanders, because he doesn't seem to pick the ball up all that well against them. He also is vulnerable to pitches off the plate. Schnell's defense has steadily gotten better and he actually runs a little better now, turning in plus times at his best. He's a plausible long-term center fielder who can be an above-average defender.
  
  THE FUTURE: Schnell is moving slower than his peers from the 2018 first round. He has a chance to be a center fielder with plus productive power, but there's a lot of projection involved in that. A solid 2021 at Class A would help kick-start Schnell's development.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #18 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Since signing, Schnell's biggest hurdle has been staying healthy. A wrist injury hampered his pro debut and a knee injury slowed him in 2019. Once he did get to full strength he hit for power at Rookie-level Princeton and received a late promotion to low Class A Bowling Green, but he was also the only 2018 first-round hitter who didn't spend the majority of the season at low Class A or higher.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: He's not as athletic, but Schnell has a profile similar to that of Rays center field prospect Josh Lowe as a center fielder with significant power potential and concerns about his ability to generate consistent contact. He's proven to be a better center fielder than he was projected out of high school. An above-average runner, Schnell has improved his routes as a pro and now covers plenty of ground in center. He projects as someone who should be able to remain at the position with above-average range. Schnell has plus power potential, but scouts worry about his ability to hit for average. His swing involves a deep load and a minor arm bar, which makes him vulnerable to fastballs in on his hands. He swung through a lot of strikes in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Schnell will return to low Class A Bowling Green. He could rank among the best power hitters in the Midwest League, but he has some cleaning up to do with his swing to make better contact.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #14 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Coming out of the summer showcase season in 2017, Schnell was seen as a promising outfielder who was likely to make it to Louisville. Schnell gained close to 20 pounds for his senior season and changed that narrative. He hit .535 with 15 home runs as he proved to teams he was a first-round pick. Schnell didn't show that power in the Gulf Coast League, but he did control the strike zone.
  
  Scouting Report: Schnell has a loose, handsy swing that allows him to drive the ball to all fields. For as much power as he showed during his high school season, he's more likely to end up as a plus hitter with average power rather than a future mid-order masher, although his above-average bat speed does give him a chance to exceed that power projection. A hit-over-power profile should work because he's a solid athlete. Schnell is currently an above-average runner. If he can retain that speed, he could stay in center field, but most likely he'll end up as an above-average defender in a corner with an above-average arm.
  
  The Future: Schnell has enough polish to handle a jump to low Class A Bowling Green. If he improves half as much in 2019 as he did in 2018, he should be one of the better hitters in the Midwest League.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #34 prospect in 2018 draft
  Schnell has done more than perhaps any prep hitter to improve his draft stock since last summer, going from a player with a real shot to enroll at Louisville to now being one of the most interesting bats in the class. All he has done since the fall is hit, hit and then hit some more. After a few solid but unspectacular summer events, Schnell began to hit for extra bases with regularity to all fields, using extremely loose hands and a fantastic feel to barrel the baseball. He has continued to hit this spring and was one of the best players at Prep Baseball Report's Midwest Select event where many crosscheckers and higher-level decision-makers were in attendance. Schnell might not be a true plus runner, but he comes close once he's underway and also has above-average arm strength from the outfield. He has the chance to play center field at least initially, but scouts think he's likely to move to a corner position in the future.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked American League #8 prospect in 2019
  Schnell’s brief pro career has been limited by a few nagging injuries, and a knee injury kept him from playing until late June, when he spent a few days in the Gulf Coast League before joining Princeton in July. The Rays drafted him 32nd overall in 2018 and promoted him to the low Class A Midwest League in mid-August. There, Schnell showed off the offensive potential that the Rays saw from him as a high schooler prior to the 2018 draft. The athletic lefthanded hitter batted .286/.361/.503 with five home runs, 11 doubles and three triples while he manned a solid center field. Opposing managers praised Schnell’s hitting ability and understanding of the strike zone, but he’ll need to cut down his strikeout rate after whiffing nearly 31 percent of the time in the Appy League. Schnell has a chance to stick in center field and spent all of his time there in 2019, but he could just as easily move to a corner.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #13 prospect in 2018
  Schnell boosted his stock heading into the draft with the offensive strides he made in the spring. The Rays drafted him in the first round (No. 32 overall) and signed him for $2,297,500. Schnell didn't show the same barrel control after signing, with a strikeout in 28 percent of his plate appearances in the Gulf Coast League, but he does use his hands well with a solid stroke from the left side and he has a patient hitting approach. With the physical projection in his wiry frame, Schnell should be able to add to his present gap power. A slightly above-average runner with an above-average arm, Schnell has a chance to stick in center field, though a lot of scouts believe his future is in right field, which would put more demands on his power increasing in the future.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After battling wrist and knee injuries in the past, Schnell was healthy for the first time in three pro seasons in 2020. Unfortunately, Schnell's healthy season was spent at home thanks to the pandemic.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Schnell leapt into the first round with an excellent senior year of high school where he showed plenty of home run power. That has yet to translate to pro ball, even though he shows plus raw power in batting practice. Schnell needs plenty of at-bats against lefthanders, because he doesn't seem to pick the ball up all that well against them. He also is vulnerable to pitches off the plate. Schnell's defense has steadily gotten better and he actually runs a little better now, turning in plus times at his best. He's a plausible long-term center fielder who can be an above-average defender.
  
  THE FUTURE: Schnell is moving slower than his peers from the 2018 first round. He has a chance to be a center fielder with plus productive power, but there's a lot of projection involved in that. A solid 2021 at Class A would help kick-start Schnell's development.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After battling wrist and knee injuries in the past, Schnell was healthy for the first time in three pro seasons in 2020. Unfortunately, Schnell's healthy season was spent at home thanks to the pandemic.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Schnell leapt into the first round with an excellent senior year of high school where he showed plenty of home run power. That has yet to translate to pro ball, even though he shows plus raw power in batting practice. Schnell needs plenty of at-bats against lefthanders, because he doesn't seem to pick the ball up all that well against them. He also is vulnerable to pitches off the plate. Schnell's defense has steadily gotten better and he actually runs a little better now, turning in plus times at his best. He's a plausible long-term center fielder who can be an above-average defender.
  
  THE FUTURE: Schnell is moving slower than his peers from the 2018 first round. He has a chance to be a center fielder with plus productive power, but there's a lot of projection involved in that. A solid 2021 at Class A would help kick-start Schnell's development.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Since signing, Schnell’s biggest hurdle has been staying healthy. A wrist injury hampered his pro debut and a knee injury slowed him in 2019. Once he did get to full strength he hit for power at Rookie-level Princeton and received a late promotion to low Class A Bowling Green, but he was also the only 2018 first-round hitter who didn’t spend the majority of the season at low Class A or higher.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: He’s not as athletic, but Schnell has a profile similar to that of Rays center field prospect Josh Lowe as a center fielder with significant power potential and concerns about his ability to generate consistent contact. He’s proven to be a better center fielder than he was projected out of high school. An above-average runner, Schnell has improved his routes as a pro and now covers plenty of ground in center. He projects as someone who should be able to remain at the position with above-average range. Schnell has plus power potential, but scouts worry about his ability to hit for average. His swing involves a deep load and a minor arm bar, which makes him vulnerable to fastballs in on his hands. He swung through a lot of strikes in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Schnell will return to low Class A Bowling Green. He could rank among the best power hitters in the Midwest League, but he has some cleaning up to do with his swing to make better contact.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Since signing, Schnell's biggest hurdle has been staying healthy. A wrist injury hampered his pro debut and a knee injury slowed him in 2019. Once he did get to full strength he hit for power at Rookie-level Princeton and received a late promotion to low Class A Bowling Green, but he was also the only 2018 first-round hitter who didn't spend the majority of the season at low Class A or higher.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: He's not as athletic, but Schnell has a profile similar to that of Rays center field prospect Josh Lowe as a center fielder with significant power potential and concerns about his ability to generate consistent contact. He's proven to be a better center fielder than he was projected out of high school. An above-average runner, Schnell has improved his routes as a pro and now covers plenty of ground in center. He projects as someone who should be able to remain at the position with above-average range. Schnell has plus power potential, but scouts worry about his ability to hit for average. His swing involves a deep load and a minor arm bar, which makes him vulnerable to fastballs in on his hands. He swung through a lot of strikes in 2019.
  
  THE FUTURE: Schnell will return to low Class A Bowling Green. He could rank among the best power hitters in the Midwest League, but he has some cleaning up to do with his swing to make better contact.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Schnell’s brief pro career has been limited by a few nagging injuries, and a knee injury kept him from playing until late June, when he spent a few days in the Gulf Coast League before joining Princeton in July. The Rays drafted him 32nd overall in 2018 and promoted him to the low Class A Midwest League in mid-August. There, Schnell showed off the offensive potential that the Rays saw from him as a high schooler prior to the 2018 draft. The athletic lefthanded hitter batted .286/.361/.503 with five home runs, 11 doubles and three triples while he manned a solid center field. Opposing managers praised Schnell’s hitting ability and understanding of the strike zone, but he’ll need to cut down his strikeout rate after whiffing nearly 31 percent of the time in the Appy League. Schnell has a chance to stick in center field and spent all of his time there in 2019, but he could just as easily move to a corner.