Nathan Hickey

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #15 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Hickey was drafted out of Florida in the fifth round in 2021 and signed an over-slot bonus of $1 million as a bat-first catcher who would need to develop defensively in order to stay behind the plate. To date, that description has held true. The lefthanded-hitting Hickey crushed righthanders in 2023, hitting .277/.372/.530 with 18 homers against them at High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. The downside is that he threw out 10 of 129 attempted basestealers, or just 7%.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey wields a sledgehammer, generating loud contact to his pull side by torquing powerfully and holding back little. While he swings with ill intent and will whiff--27% strikeout rate-- he’s disciplined enough with a 13% walk rate to force pitchers to work in the zone. His offensive profile is special for a catcher. But while Hickey continues to make gradual progress defensively, he remains stiff in his receiving and blocking, and his inability to control the running game raises questions about whether he will stay behind the plate. Hickey has taken grounders at first base but has played no position but catcher in pro ball.
  
  The Future: After he spent almost all of 2023 in Double-A, Hickey may open 2024 back in Double-A to work on his defensive development. That said, his bat is nearly ready for the big leagues and will likely lead to both time in Triple-A and exposure to other positions in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #15 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After shifting around the infield in high school, Hickey moved behind the dish full time at Florida. Though raw defensively, Hickey showed enough while hitting .316/.436/.539 in 2021 during his one full college season to convince the Red Sox to sign the draft-eligible redshirt freshman to an above-slot $1 million bonus. In his first full pro season, Hickey hit .263/.415/.522 between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey features little wasted motion in the box, staying balanced through a short stride before unloading on pitches with a powerful hip turn to produce plus raw power. His calm initial move buys time to recognize pitches and contributes to an excellent approach in the lower minors, punishing pitches in all quadrants. Defensively, Hickey remains raw with plenty of cleanup to do in his blocking, receiving, and framing, though an automated strike zone could lower the bar. He has average raw arm strength but must sharpen his footwork and transfer to allow it to play. Runners succeeded on 87% of steal attempts against Hickey, a number that will have to change markedly for him to stick at catcher. Hickey does embrace the challenge of his position and plays with an edge to prove doubters wrong.
  
  The Future: If Hickey emerges as a below-average defensive catcher, he'd have standout offensive potential at the position. If not, he might still bring enough as a hitter to play at DH or first base.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #24 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Hickey posted a .316/.436/.539 line with nine homers in 60 games as a draft-eligible redshirt freshman in 2021. The Red Sox made a bet on his ability to continue catching, signing him to a $1 million bonus after taking him in the fifth round.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey features an unusual offensive profile for a catcher. He knows both the strike zone and his strengths within it, resulting in a 15.3% walk rate in college in 2021 compared to a strikeout rate of 14.2%. He makes plenty of hard contact, especially on pitches down in the zone, with the potential for an above-average hit tool and strength to suggest untapped power potential. He’s far from a sure bet to stay behind the plate, where he lacks agility and technical polish when both receiving and blocking. While he has solid arm strength, he ended his 2021 college season at third base.
  
  The Future: Hickey may move more deliberately than other college players with his offensive profile given the need to develop behind the plate, but he’ll be given every chance to develop into a bat-first everyday catcher. If he can’t stay at the position, he could fit in a corner.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #129 prospect in 2021 draft
  Hickey was scouted frequently out of high school thanks to playing on the same Providence High team in Jacksonville as Tyler Callihan, who was drafted by the Reds in the third round in 2019. Hickey was a solid offensive prospect in his own right and thought at the time to be an above-average hitter with above-average power, albeit with defensive questions. That continues to be the reputation Hickey has after two seasons with Florida. This spring he was the best hitter on a strong Gators team. He posted a .317/.435/.522 line with nine home runs and more walks (42) than strikeouts (20). Hickey hammers fastballs and has done well with 93-plus mph velocity this spring and tries to access his easy plus raw power with a leveraged and steep uphill swing path. That’s allowed him to do damage to his pull side on pitches middle and down, but there is a hole at the top of the zone that better pitchers might be able to expose more often. A good feel for the strike zone and a willingness to take walks should take some of the pressure off of Hickey’s pure bat-to-ball skills. A team that thinks Hickey can stick behind the plate might like his bat among the top-50 picks in the draft, but most of the industry seems to think he’ll have to move off the position at the next level. His arm is more serviceable than above-average or plus and he needs plenty of work as a receiver and blocker to get to even fringe-average defensive ability.
• Ranked #364 prospect in 2019 draft
  A 6-foot, 205-pound catcher who attends the same school as Tyler Callihan, Hickey is an offensive-first backstop with an above-average hit tool and above-average power. He's been seen frequently this spring by high-level evaluators thanks to the presence of Callihan and has performed well against all the same pitching. Hickey will be penalized by draft models because he's very old for the class, with a November, 1999 birthday, and he also has no obvious defensive home with plenty of work to do behind the plate to stick there. A Florida commit, Hickey could improve his stock in Gainesville by continuing to show his offensive promise and either improving his catching defense or finding another position.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After shifting around the infield in high school, Hickey moved behind the dish full time at Florida. Though raw defensively, Hickey showed enough while hitting .316/.436/.539 in 2021 during his one full college season to convince the Red Sox to sign the draft-eligible redshirt freshman to an above-slot $1 million bonus. In his first full pro season, Hickey hit .263/.415/.522 between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey features little wasted motion in the box, staying balanced through a short stride before unloading on pitches with a powerful hip turn to produce plus raw power. His calm initial move buys time to recognize pitches and contributes to an excellent approach in the lower minors, punishing pitches in all quadrants. Defensively, Hickey remains raw with plenty of cleanup to do in his blocking, receiving, and framing, though an automated strike zone could lower the bar. He has average raw arm strength but must sharpen his footwork and transfer to allow it to play. Runners succeeded on 87% of steal attempts against Hickey, a number that will have to change markedly for him to stick at catcher. Hickey does embrace the challenge of his position and plays with an edge to prove doubters wrong.
  
  The Future: If Hickey emerges as a below-average defensive catcher, he'd have standout offensive potential at the position. If not, he might still bring enough as a hitter to play at DH or first base.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After shifting around the infield in high school, Hickey moved behind the dish full time at Florida. Though raw defensively, Hickey showed enough while hitting .316/.436/.539 in 2021 during his one full college season to convince the Red Sox to sign the draft-eligible redshirt freshman to an above-slot $1 million bonus. In his first full pro season, Hickey hit .263/.415/.522 between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey features little wasted motion in the box, staying balanced through a short stride before unloading on pitches with a powerful hip turn to produce plus raw power. His calm initial move buys time to recognize pitches and contributes to an excellent approach in the lower minors, punishing pitches in all quadrants. Defensively, Hickey remains raw with plenty of cleanup to do in his blocking, receiving, and framing, though an automated strike zone could lower the bar. He has average raw arm strength but must sharpen his footwork and transfer to allow it to play. Runners succeeded on 87% of steal attempts against Hickey, a number that will have to change markedly for him to stick at catcher. Hickey does embrace the challenge of his position and plays with an edge to prove doubters wrong.
  
  The Future: If Hickey emerges as a below-average defensive catcher, he'd have standout offensive potential at the position. If not, he might still bring enough as a hitter to play at DH or first base.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Hickey posted a .316/.436/.539 line with nine homers in 60 games as a draft-eligible redshirt freshman in 2021. The Red Sox made a bet on his ability to continue catching, signing him to a $1 million bonus after taking him in the fifth round.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey features an unusual offensive profile for a catcher. He knows both the strike zone and his strengths within it, resulting in a 15.3% walk rate in college in 2021 compared to a strikeout rate of 14.2%. He makes plenty of hard contact, especially on pitches down in the zone, with the potential for an above-average hit tool and strength to suggest untapped power potential. He&#39s far from a sure bet to stay behind the plate, where he lacks agility and technical polish when both receiving and blocking. While he has solid arm strength, he ended his 2021 college season at third base.
  
  The Future: Hickey may move more deliberately than other college players with his offensive profile given the need to develop behind the plate, but he&#39ll be given every chance to develop into a bat-first everyday catcher. If he can&#39t stay at the position, he could fit in a corner.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Hickey posted a .316/.436/.539 line with nine homers in 60 games as a draft-eligible redshirt freshman in 2021. The Red Sox made a bet on his ability to continue catching, signing him to a $1 million bonus after taking him in the fifth round.
  
  Scouting Report: Hickey features an unusual offensive profile for a catcher. He knows both the strike zone and his strengths within it, resulting in a 15.3% walk rate in college in 2021 compared to a strikeout rate of 14.2%. He makes plenty of hard contact, especially on pitches down in the zone, with the potential for an above-average hit tool and strength to suggest untapped power potential. He’s far from a sure bet to stay behind the plate, where he lacks agility and technical polish when both receiving and blocking. While he has solid arm strength, he ended his 2021 college season at third base.
  
  The Future: Hickey may move more deliberately than other college players with his offensive profile given the need to develop behind the plate, but he’ll be given every chance to develop into a bat-first everyday catcher. If he can’t stay at the position, he could fit in a corner.
  
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A 6-foot, 205-pound catcher who attends the same school as Tyler Callihan, Hickey is an offensive-first backstop with an above-average hit tool and above-average power. He's been seen frequently this spring by high-level evaluators thanks to the presence of Callihan and has performed well against all the same pitching. Hickey will be penalized by draft models because he's very old for the class, with a November, 1999 birthday, and he also has no obvious defensive home with plenty of work to do behind the plate to stick there. A Florida commit, Hickey could improve his stock in Gainesville by continuing to show his offensive promise and either improving his catching defense or finding another position.