Former Top Prospect Nick Senzel Signs With Unexpected Team

He was the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft. In 2019, his first year in the majors, he was the No. 1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds system, and No. 6 in all of baseball. But something happened along the way for Nick Senzel, and now, at the age of 29, he is completely out of major league baseball. He signed today with a team in the Mexican League.

Senzel's scouting report by MLB Pipeline at the time touted the big-time prospect as having "a combination of strength and bat speed, along with an advanced approach at the plate, to be an extremely dangerous hitter from the right side. He makes consistent hard contact, doesn't strike out a lot and draws walks, which points to a future of hitting over .300 and perhaps competing for batting titles."

With a career .232 batting mark, Senzel obviously didn't come close to any batting titles. In fact, his .252 average in 2021 (in only 36 games) was his career-high.

Injuries really took their toll on Senzel, even starting before he got to the majors. In 2018, he suffered from vertigo, then a fractured right index finger that required season-ending surgery in June. Following that, bone spurs in his elbow delayed his fall rehab program.

The injuries didn't stop at the major league level, either. He averaged 75 games per year in his six seasons, and the start of his last season in 2024 was the perfect summation of his career: Senzel was expected to start in the season opener for the Washington Nationals, but he broke his thumb before the game started.

He finished his six MLB seasons with a .662 OPS. He was DFA'd by the Chicago White Sox, perhaps the worst team in the history of baseball, in August of last season after the Nats had DFA'd him in July.

Now, Senzel will give it a try with Tecolotes De Los Dos Laredos in the Mexican League.