At the risk of jinxing his torrid early spring.....
Jacob "Jake" Noll
Positions: Second Baseman, Third Baseman and First Baseman
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 195lb (188cm, 88kg)
Draft: Drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 7th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft from Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, FL).
High School: Charlotte HS (Punta Gorda, FL)
School: Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, FL)
2018:
AFL .265 / .309 /.429 2 HR in 49 PAs
Harrisburg: .278 / .328 / .359 3HR in 260 PAs
Potomac: .302 / .353 / .460, 8HR in 289 PAs
Scouting report:
https://www.federalbaseball.com/2018/12/8/18131810/washington-nationals-prospects-scouting-report-jake-noll-arizona-fall-leagueNoll is short on tools but has done nothing but hit since the Nationals took him in the 7th round in 2016. He lacks any one carry tool, but Noll’s ability to put the bat on the ball gives him a chance at the big leagues. Washington has tried him at 2B and 3B, but he’s below-average at both spots and likely winds up playing 1B down the road. The ceiling is a bench bat that’s a good fit for the National League given pinch hitting opportunities, though there’s a chance he winds up a 4A type if no one attribute is strong enough to carve out a full-time role.
https://2080baseball.com/spotlight/jake-noll/Noll was the Nats’ 7th round pick in 2016 on the strength of a well-built frame and offensive upside, despite lacking a true defensive position. That still could be said today, as Noll—now 24-years-old—continues to have success against minor league pitching while struggling with the glove. He broke out last year in Hagerstown, slashing .270/.312/.448 in 2017. This year, Noll turned it up another level, slashing .302/.350/.460 in the first half with High-A Potomac before playing in the Carolina League All-Star Game before a recent promotion to Double-A.
While his production has been solid to this point, Noll is a good example of an older player having success in A-Ball. He has a good approach at the plate and a polished swing, but it isn’t particularly fast nor explosive, and the offensive profile runs the risk of blending in a bit more in the high-minors. His fringy raw power plays more to the pullside, and Noll projects more as a doubles hitter with occasional power than a true masher with enough bat to play everyday on a corner. The Nationals tried him at second base last season Hagerstown—an experiment that didn’t last more than a season—and while he’s a better physical fit for the hot corner at 6’2’’ and 195-pounds, Noll’s hands and actions are well below average. At the big league level, there isn’t much keeping him away from being a first baseman.
A right-handed corner bat without tons of raw power, Noll will have to continue producing and proving it at every level to earn his shot at the majors. The best-case ceiling is a FV 40 bench bat who faces mostly lefties, though the lack of a carry tool could wind up profiling as a 4A type if there isn’t enough to carve out a regular reserve role.