Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 35 | Power: 55 | Run: 80 | Arm: 70 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Pinckney was a three-year player at Alabama and broke out as an All-SEC Second Teamer in 2023. That led him to a fourth-round pick and below-slot $500,000 bonus from the Nationals that summer. The right-handed slugger aggressively opened his first full season at Double-A Harrisburg, in part because it was already his age-23 campaign, and then he touched Triple-A Rochester later in the year. He spent all of 2025 back in the International League and used a second-half surge to hit .269/.348/.431 with 20 homers and 34 steals in 125 games. Pinckney was one of only five 20-30 Minor Leaguers last season.

Starting from an open stance that he closes with a leg kick, Pinckney is geared up to hit the fastball and generates exceptional exit velocities, topping out at 116.6 mph in 2025 and with a 90th-percentile EV of 107.6. Because of that pop, 20 of Pinckney’s 31 extra-base hits left the yard with Rochester last year. However, over half of his total batted balls were on the ground, and that kept him from getting more doubles, triples and even homers across the board. He also posted whiff rates above 40 percent against most non-fastballs, and he’ll likely always be someone who flirts with at least a 30 percent K rate in the Majors. 

Pinckney’s other skills are much like his power: loud. He’s a top-of-the-scale runner, eclipsing 30 ft/sec sprint speeds and posting occasional sub-4 home-to-first times. His arm strength allows him to touch triple digits from the grass, and his combination of that cannon and range from his wheels could make him an above-average defender from any outfield spot. A Major League team could live with some contact concerns given that skill set, but Pinckney still needs to clear that hurdle to push through to Washington. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 35 | Power: 50 | Run: 80 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Pinckney played four years at Alabama, and while he improved steadily with the Crimson Tide, his big breakout came in 2023 as an All-SEC Second Teamer with a .339/.442/.658 line and 18 homers in 64 games. The Nationals selected him in the fourth round, signed him for below slot at $500,000 and have aggressively pushed the outfielder up their chain ever since. After playing for four affiliates in his Draft year, Pinckney opened his first full season with Double-A Harrisburg and hit .259/.328/.366 with seven homers and 22 steals in 114 games. He was promoted to Triple-A Rochester in late August 2024, has been there throughout 2025 and caught fire in the second half with the Red Wings.

Batting from the right side, Pinckney faced concerns heading into the Draft that he would struggle against non-fastballs at the next level, and those issues remain. He’s geared up for the heat, and he posts high whiff rates against sliders, curves and changes -- a trend that’s carried from 2024 to 2025 in Rochester. He’s capable of hitting the ball hard with exceptional exit velocities (with a 90th percentile EV of 107.6 entering early September) but needs to improve his elevation on contact -- starting with not clipping outside breakers -- to be a future 20-homer threat in the Majors.

Speed is no concern in Pinckney’s game, as he’ll get up to Sprint Speeds above 30 ft/sec when charging down the line. He stole 27 bags in his first full season and cleared 30 bags in his second. He used those wheels and above-average arm strength to rotate through all three outfield spots, and he could be more than ample covering in center when needed. Washington is loaded with quality defenders in the middle of the grass, and Pinckney is likely headed toward a reserve role unless he drastically improves his contact and launch angles

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Pinckney showed steady improvement over his four years with Alabama and saw his big breakout come as a redshirt junior last year, earning Second-team All-SEC honors with his .339/.442/.648 line and 18 homers in 64 games. Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 216 Draft prospect, the Nationals liked him enough to select him in the fourth round in July and signed him for below slot at $500,000. He kept up his momentum by being one of the best post-Draft performers in his class, slashing .321/.415/.457 with four homers and 11 steals in 41 games across four levels, topping out at Double-A.

Although Pinckney has grown more patient and cut down on his chase rate from 2022 to '23, he gave some evaluators pre-Draft concerns about his ability to hit non-fastballs with a 43 percent miss rate on swings against breakers and offspeed pitches. He did manage to keep the strikeouts slightly more in check on the pro side, but a lot of the wood bat contact came on the ground (63.2 percent). He still has the strength to be a 15-homer threat in the pros.

The 6-foot-3 outfielder has the plus speed to impact the running game and man center field. The issue is that he was drafted into the same organization as Dylan Crews and James Wood -- each of whom has superstar potential in the middle of the grass. To prepare for this, the Nats got Pinckney more time in right field, where his arm can certainly play. Whether his issues with soft stuff return or are things of the past will determine if he can carve out an everyday role in that corner.

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

Pinckney gradually got better during four years at Alabama, going from redshirting in 2020 to earning second-team all-Southeastern Conference recognition in 2023. He had some of the best all-around tools in college baseball's top league and worked his way into becoming the Nationals’ fourth-round pick in July. He helped his cause by going 3-for-3 with a home run in an April matchup against Louisiana State's Paul Skenes, the top pitcher in the Draft. 

The key to Pinckney's improvement was adopting a more disciplined approach, though he still struggles to make consistent contact against non-fastballs. He has a quick right-handed swing along with plenty of strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He does a good job of using the entire field, and his solid power plays from gap to gap. 

Pinckney has plus speed and can get from home to first base in less than four seconds on a drag bunt. Including summer ball, he stole 43 bases in 49 attempts during his last three years of collegiate play. He saw more time in right field than center with the Crimson Tide, but he has the solid range and instincts to play up the middle as well as a strong arm.

Video scouting report »

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

Pinckney has gradually gotten better during four years at Alabama, going from redshirting in 2020 to earning second-team all-Southeastern Conference recognition in 2023. He has some of the best all-around tools in college baseball's top league and could sneak into the top five rounds after going undrafted a year ago. He helped his cause by going 3-for-3 with a home run in an April matchup against Louisiana State's Paul Skenes, the top pitcher in the Draft. 

The key to Pinckney's improvement has been adopting a more disciplined approach, though he still struggles to make consistent contact against non-fastballs. He has a quick right-handed swing along with plenty of strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He does a good job of using the entire field and his solid power plays from gap to gap. 

Pinckney has plus speed and can get from home to first base in less than four seconds on a drag bunt. Including summer ball, he has stolen 43 bases in 49 attempts during the last three years. He saw more time in right field than center with the Crimson Tide, but he has the solid range and instincts to play up the middle as well as a strong arm. 

Awards

EAS Player of the Week

Week	Team
05/19/2024

CAR Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/06/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	LF Andrew Pinckney assigned to Washington Nationals Prospects.
	01/26/2026	Washington Nationals invited non-roster LF Andrew Pinckney to spring training.
	09/22/2025	Rochester Red Wings activated OF Andrew Pinckney from the 7-day injured list.
	09/13/2025	Rochester Red Wings placed OF Andrew Pinckney on the 7-day injured list.
	03/06/2025	activated LF Andrew Pinckney.
	01/23/2025	Washington Nationals invited non-roster LF Andrew Pinckney to spring training.
	08/27/2024	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to Rochester Red Wings from Harrisburg Senators.
	03/07/2024	Washington Nationals Prospects activated OF Andrew Pinckney.
	02/25/2024	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to Washington Nationals.
	02/25/2024	OF Andrew Pinckney roster status changed by Washington Nationals.
	09/12/2023	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to Harrisburg Senators from Wilmington Blue Rocks.
	09/12/2023	Harrisburg Senators activated OF Andrew Pinckney.
	08/22/2023	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks from Fredericksburg Nationals.
	08/22/2023	Wilmington Blue Rocks activated OF Andrew Pinckney.
	08/01/2023	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to Fredericksburg Nationals from FCL Nationals.
	07/29/2023	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to FCL Nationals.
	07/17/2023	Washington Nationals signed OF Andrew Pinckney.
	06/21/2023	College Workout activated OF Andrew Pinckney.
	06/21/2023	OF Andrew Pinckney assigned to College Workout.