Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

A year ago, there was a high school infielder in Virginia who was a big popup prospect, one crosscheckers and scouting directors were running in to see late. James Triantos ended up a second-round pick of the Cubs. This spring, Morabito has a lot of the same qualities and is rising up Draft boards in a hurry as the Virginia native stars for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.

Small and compact, Morabito is built like a football player, though he doesn’t play the sport, reminding some of Chad Curtis or a smaller Clint Frazier-type physically. The right-handed hitter has a short, compact swing and above-average bat speed. It enables him to make hard contact with solid power, especially for someone his size. He’s a plus runner who has the chance to make an impact on the basepaths.

What is unclear is where Morabito might play defensively. He’s a shortstop in high school, but his below-average arm will rule that out at the next level. Some have seen an arm slot that could work from second base, while others have thought letting his athleticism play in the outfield would be the best move. Wherever he plays, it’s his bat and wheels that will have teams interested in signing him away from his Virginia Tech commitment.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Arm: 40 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Morabito used a strong senior spring at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., to carve out a prominent spot in the 2022 Draft class, and the Mets picked him 75th overall that July and signed him above slot for $1 million. Knowing New York had a project on its hands, Morabito was kept in the Florida Complex League to begin his first full season and hit his way to Single-A St. Lucie at the start of August. Morabito finished with a .306/.421/.407 line and 130 wRC+ over 57 games across both stops.

Morabito has plenty of speed to burn, earning plus-plus grades for his wheels, and that enabled him to swipe 21 bags in 25 attempts last season. It’s also a big reason -- along with below-average arm strength -- why he moved from his high-school position of shortstop to center field, and early reviews on his ability to cover a ton of ground have been promising. The Mets also gave him brief looks at second base and right field in the FCL, but he was center-only at the higher level.

Much will come down to Morabito’s bat. He didn’t expand the zone much and took a healthy amount of walks (13.3 percent) against lower-level arms, but his in-zone contact rate was a little on the concerning side despite a compact right-handed swing. He has average raw power (topping out at a 109.5 mph exit velocity at Single-A), but that has yet to emerge consistently. Luckily, he can beat out grounders to pick up hits, and considering he’s entering his age-21 season, there’s still time for the in-game pop to play.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 65 | Arm: 40 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

James Triantos rose up Draft boards quickly in 2021 and forced scouts and crosscheckers to go rushing to Virginia. Something similar happened to Morabito in the same area as the outfielder used a strong spring at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., to become a must-follow name in the 2022 Draft. He went to the Mets with the 75th overall pick and signed above slot at $1 million. He got a short six-game look in the Florida Complex League later in the summer and struggled with 14 strikeouts in 24 plate appearances.

That early K percentage was certainly concerning, but it's just part of a small sample size. Morabito typically displays a short, compact swing and promising bat speed that helps him turn on balls. As a result, he shows better raw power than his 5-foot-11 frame would indicate, and despite his size, even that tool could be average in time. He’s a borderline plus-plus runner to boot, and that will likely be the biggest cause for excitement while the bat develops.

A below-average arm was always going to steer Morabito away from his high school position of shortstop, and the Mets have already moved him to center field, where the wheels make for a nice fit. Morabito turned 20 in May, so he’s older than many in his high school class, but he’ll be given time to show he can make more contact and be a potential impactful up-the-middle talent.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 40 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

A year ago, there was a high school infielder in Virginia who was a big popup prospect, one crosscheckers and scouting directors were running in to see late. James Triantos ended up a second-round pick of the Cubs. This spring, Morabito showed a lot of the same qualities and rose up Draft boards in a hurry as the Virginia native starred for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. He eventually went to the Mets with the 75th overall pick.

Small and compact, Morabito is built like a football player, though he doesn’t play the sport, reminding some of Chad Curtis or a smaller Jackson Frazier-type physically. The right-handed hitter has a short, compact swing and above-average bat speed. It enables him to make hard contact with solid power, especially for someone his size. He’s a plus runner who has the chance to make an impact on the basepaths.

What is unclear is where Morabito might play defensively. He’s a shortstop in high school, but his below-average arm will rule that out at the next level. Some have seen an arm slot that could work from second base, while others have thought letting his athleticism play in the outfield would be the best move. Wherever he plays, it’s his bat and wheels that had the Mets interested and will fuel his rise in the New York system.

Awards

SAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

FSL Player of the Month

Month	Team
04/2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	05/06/2024	OF Nick Morabito assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.
	03/07/2024	New York Mets Prospects activated OF Nick Morabito.
	03/01/2024	OF Nick Morabito assigned to New York Mets.
	07/31/2023	OF Nick Morabito assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
	07/31/2023	St. Lucie Mets activated OF Nick Morabito.
	08/12/2022	FCL Mets activated OF Nick Morabito.
	08/12/2022	OF Nick Morabito assigned to FCL Mets.
	08/12/2022	FCL Mets activated OF Nick Morabito.
	07/27/2022	New York Mets signed OF Nick Morabito.
	06/11/2022	College Workout activated OF Nick Morabito.
	06/11/2022	SS Nick Morabito assigned to College Workout.
	09/15/2021	SS Nick Morabito and assigned to Red Sox (VA '22).