Nick Quintana

Quintana was an elite prep prospect out of the Las Vegas area in 2016, noted for a smooth line-drive swing with gap power. The Red Sox drafted him in the 11th round, but he instead chose to attend Arizona, where he moved from shortstop to third base and has been a middle-of-the-order threat for three years. After hitting a combined 20 home runs between his freshman and sophomore seasons, Quintana has 11 home runs through 45 games in 2019. His above-average raw power is the best asset of his offensive game, and he’s been a solid hitter in the Pac-12. However, he has struggled with higher strikeout rates at Arizona—nearly 20 percent over three seasons—and his lackluster statistics from two summers in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .230/.312/.435 with a 38 percent strikeout rate in 69 games, leave questions about his hit tool. Defensively, Quintana has plus arm strength and a good feel for third base after developing at shortstop. He is a below-average runner, but that lack of speed doesn’t show up at the hot corner, where his impressive instincts allow him to be an above-average defender. Quintana’s talent is enough to make him a late Day 1 pick, but his previous struggles with a wood bat might push him back to an early Day 2 selection this June.