Chicago White Sox New Prospect Profile: Nick Nastrini

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Rob Wegley | Last updated 8/3/23

As the MLB season progresses beyond the trade deadline, the Chicago White Sox look a lot different. As one of the most active teams on the trade market, the White Sox sold a ton of their active roster. One of those moves was trading starting pitcher Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In return, Chicago received old friend Trayce Thompson and a couple of interesting prospects. Right-hander Nick Nastrini, now the White Sox' fifth-best prospect, highlights the return package.

Nastrini Has Top-of-the-Rotation Potential

Nastrini, 23, has some phenomenal stuff on the mound. He has a plus fastball (65 grade) that sits in the mid-90s and tops out at 98 with great carry. Nastrini's slider is his best secondary offering featuring tons of spin, making it extremely difficult to hit. Honestly, his curveball isn't that far behind the slider — the curve has tons of spin and is truly difficult for hitters to square up.

In terms of pure "stuff," Nastrini is probably unmatched in the White Sox system. Peyton Pallette may wind up giving him a run for his money if the changeup develops further, but Nastrini has three nasty pitches and a solid changeup to boot.

With all that being said, command difficulties are a legitimate concern for the righty. In 2023, Nastrini has an 11.3 BB%, and he's never been under 10% for his career. Typically, Nastrini has offset that concern by striking batters out at a high percentage, and — while his 26.1 K% is nothing to sneeze at — his lowest previous percentage was 34.9% in 2022 in High-A.

Beyond the high walk rate and lower-than-usual strikeout rate, Nastrini has some difficulty keeping the ball on the ground when batters make contact. His 33.2 GB% this season is the lowest of his career, but he has always been more of a fly-ball pitcher.

Combine those numbers with a .232 BAA and 1.40 WHIP, and you have some explanation as to why the 23-year-old with nasty stuff has a 4.03 ERA and 4.47 FIP.

Still, if the command can continue to improve — and it is improving — there is a lot to be excited about with Nastrini. He's sort of like a lottery ticket with a chance to hit as a front-of-the-line starter but also a really high chance that he'll at least be a high-leverage reliever. I'd wager on him being an effective future starting pitcher. Look for him to get some MLB exposure around 2025.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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