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Nick Yorke, Red Sox’ 2020 first-round pick, promoted to High A Greenville

Nick Yorke began the season at Low A Salem.Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Amidst one of the hottest stretches by a Red Sox prospect in recent memory, Nick Yorke is getting promoted.

Yorke, the Red Sox’ first-round pick in 2020, will move to High A Greenville after hitting .323/.413/.500 with 10 homers and 11 steals in Low A Salem.

The 19-year-old second baseman started the year — and his professional career — slowly (.195/.264/.220 in 21 games in May), but has since dominated, hitting .373/.467/.608 since the start of June. Those marks have bumped up to ridiculous levels in August: .419/.513/.839 with seven homers, 11 walks, and just five strikeouts in 16 games.

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The Red Sox bucked industry consensus in selecting Yorke in the first round, but with his emergence as one of the best hitters at his level at 19, he has offered early validation to their view that he possesses tremendous offensive potential. Questions remain about whether he will be able to stay at second base, but his performance with Salem suggested that he needs to be challenged at a higher level.

Baseball America placed him as the No. 8 Red Sox prospect in its midyear rankings.


Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @alexspeier.