Nick Kahle Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

AB	18
AVG	.222
OBP	.222
SLG	.278
HR	0

Full name Nicholas Zachary Kahle
Born 02/28/1998 in Simi Valley, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'8" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Washington
Drafted in the 4th round (133rd overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019 (signed for $325,000).

View Draft Report

Kahle is a short, 5-foot-10, 195-pound catcher who has shown excellent feel to hit in a career-best junior season. Through his first 50 games, Kahle was hitting .337/.511/.528 with terrific plate discipline. His 59 walks through that stretch were good enough for the sixth-best walk total in the country among Division I hitters, and his 1.18 walks per game trailed only Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman. Scouts praise his approach and note that he rarely chases balls out of the zone. He swings with a short, direct path to the plate that generates some loft, but he has mostly doubles power right now. Kahle is known as a smart player who works well with pitchers. There are mixed reviews about his defense behind the plate. Some scouts see him as a polished receiver with good blocking ability and solid arm strength, while others think his arm is below-average and wonder how well his frame will hold up in the future.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

TRACK RECORD: Kahle had a breakout junior season at Washington in 2019, hitting .339/.506/.532 with more than twice as many walks (59) as strikeouts (28). The Brewers drafted him in the fourth round and he had a solid pro debut in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. With the coronavirus pandemic canceling the 2020 minor league season, Kahle played independent ball in North Dakota for Fargo-Moorhead in the American Association before heading to Arizona for instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kahle has a short, direct swing and a disciplined offensive approach. He recognizes pitches well and seldom expands the strike zone. Kahle is mostly a doubles threat who might hit 8-12 home runs and will need to be able to do more damage on contact against advanced pitchers. Kahle drew mixed reviews for his defense as an amateur, with scouts praising his blocking and receiving skills but questioning his fringe-average arm. Kahle has made significant progress on his throwing while working with minor league coach Nestor Corredor. He threw out 44% of baserunners in his pro debut and carried that over to instructs in 2020. Kahle also draws positive reviews for his all-around baseball IQ.

THE FUTURE: If Kahle can drive the ball with impact, he has a chance to develop into a high-OBP catcher. He got a taste of high Class A in 2019 and should open back there in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Kahle was a bit under-the-radar as a catcher in the Pac-12 during the same draft season as Oregon State backstop Adley Rutschman, but had a strong junior season, setting the single-season walk record (59) for the Huskies and leading the team in average (.339), on-base percentage (.506) and slugging (.532) before signing with the Brewers for $325,000 as a fourth-round pick in 2019.

SCOUTING REPORT: A compact, 5-foot-10 catcher, Kahle has some solid defensive tools and is a good receiver with soft hands who works well with pitchers thanks to his maturity and baseball IQ. Amateur scouts had mixed thoughts on his defensive ability though thanks to fringe-average arm strength and consistent tail on his throws, but his first stint in pro ball was strong in that area, as he threw out 53 percent of basestealers in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Kahle's best tool is his natural hitting ability. He improved as a hitter each season with Washington and has a short, direct swing that's contact-oriented. He pairs that with a fairly polished approach, rarely chasing out of the strike zone and he also draws walks at a solid clip—12.4 percent of the time in the Pioneer and Carolina Leagues—as his college track record indicates. Kahle has below average power that will limit his offensive ceiling, with some scouts expecting around 10 homers over a full season.

THE FUTURE: Some scouts have questioned whether or not Kahle is physical enough to handle catching full time in pro ball, but if he can has a chance to profile nicely with a solid hit tool. Low Class A Wisconsin is up next.

Draft Prospects

Kahle is a short, 5-foot-10, 195-pound catcher who has shown excellent feel to hit in a career-best junior season. Through his first 50 games, Kahle was hitting .337/.511/.528 with terrific plate discipline. His 59 walks through that stretch were good enough for the sixth-best walk total in the country among Division I hitters, and his 1.18 walks per game trailed only Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman. Scouts praise his approach and note that he rarely chases balls out of the zone. He swings with a short, direct path to the plate that generates some loft, but he has mostly doubles power right now. Kahle is known as a smart player who works well with pitchers. There are mixed reviews about his defense behind the plate. Some scouts see him as a polished receiver with good blocking ability and solid arm strength, while others think his arm is below-average and wonder how well his frame will hold up in the future.

Minor League Top Prospects

Kahle had a solid, three-year career at Washington after playing high school ball in the Los Angeles area with White Sox prospect Blake Rutherford. He stood out most for his work behind the plate in his pro debut, as he's a plus defender with soft hands, lateral quickness and good receiving skills. Kahle's arm grades as average, but he still threw out more than 50 percent of basestealers both in his final college season and in a small sample in the Pioneer League. A compact swing and an advanced feel for the strike zone will allow Kahle to be enough of an offensive force to complement his defense. He's more of a doubles hitter with some opposite field power. Kahle was noted both in college and in his pro debut for his outstanding makeup. "He's very, very mature," Rocky Mountain manager Nestor Corredor said. "He knows his game."

Scouting Reports

TRACK RECORD: Kahle had a breakout junior season at Washington in 2019, hitting .339/.506/.532 with more than twice as many walks (59) as strikeouts (28). The Brewers drafted him in the fourth round and he had a solid pro debut in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. With the coronavirus pandemic canceling the 2020 minor league season, Kahle played independent ball in North Dakota for Fargo-Moorhead in the American Association before heading to Arizona for instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kahle has a short, direct swing and a disciplined offensive approach. He recognizes pitches well and seldom expands the strike zone. Kahle is mostly a doubles threat who might hit 8-12 home runs and will need to be able to do more damage on contact against advanced pitchers. Kahle drew mixed reviews for his defense as an amateur, with scouts praising his blocking and receiving skills but questioning his fringe-average arm. Kahle has made significant progress on his throwing while working with minor league coach Nestor Corredor. He threw out 44% of baserunners in his pro debut and carried that over to instructs in 2020. Kahle also draws positive reviews for his all-around baseball IQ.

THE FUTURE: If Kahle can drive the ball with impact, he has a chance to develop into a high-OBP catcher. He got a taste of high Class A in 2019 and should open back there in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Kahle had a breakout junior season at Washington in 2019, hitting .339/.506/.532 with more than twice as many walks (59) as strikeouts (28). The Brewers drafted him in the fourth round and he had a solid pro debut in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. With the coronavirus pandemic canceling the 2020 minor league season, Kahle played independent ball in North Dakota for Fargo-Moorhead in the American Association before heading to Arizona for instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Kahle has a short, direct swing and a disciplined offensive approach. He recognizes pitches well and seldom expands the strike zone. Kahle is mostly a doubles threat who might hit 8-12 home runs and will need to be able to do more damage on contact against advanced pitchers. Kahle drew mixed reviews for his defense as an amateur, with scouts praising his blocking and receiving skills but questioning his fringe-average arm. Kahle has made significant progress on his throwing while working with minor league coach Nestor Corredor. He threw out 44% of baserunners in his pro debut and carried that over to instructs in 2020. Kahle also draws positive reviews for his all-around baseball IQ.

THE FUTURE: If Kahle can drive the ball with impact, he has a chance to develop into a high-OBP catcher. He got a taste of high Class A in 2019 and should open back there in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Kahle was a bit under-the-radar as a catcher in the Pac-12 during the same draft season as Oregon State backstop Adley Rutschman, but had a strong junior season, setting the single-season walk record (59) for the Huskies and leading the team in average (.339), on-base percentage (.506) and slugging (.532) before signing with the Brewers for $325,000 as a fourth-round pick in 2019. BA GRADE 40 Risk: Medium BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High

SCOUTING REPORT: A compact, 5-foot-10 catcher, Kahle has some solid defensive tools and is a good receiver with soft hands who works well with pitchers thanks to his maturity and baseball IQ. Amateur scouts had mixed thoughts on his defensive ability though thanks to fringe-average arm strength and consistent tail on his throws, but his first stint in pro ball was strong in that area, as he threw out 53 percent of basestealers in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Kahle’s best tool is his natural hitting ability. He improved as a hitter each season with Washington and has a short, direct swing that’s contact-oriented. He pairs that with a fairly polished approach, rarely chasing out of the strike zone and he also draws walks at a solid clip—12.4 percent of the time in the Pioneer and Carolina Leagues—as his college track record indicates. Kahle has below average power that will limit his offensive ceiling, with some scouts expecting around 10 homers over a full season.

THE FUTURE: Some scouts have questioned whether or not Kahle is physical enough to handle catching full time in pro ball, but if he can has a chance to profile nicely with a solid hit tool. Low Class A Wisconsin is up next.
TRACK RECORD: Kahle was a bit under-the-radar as a catcher in the Pac-12 during the same draft season as Oregon State backstop Adley Rutschman, but had a strong junior season, setting the single-season walk record (59) for the Huskies and leading the team in average (.339), on-base percentage (.506) and slugging (.532) before signing with the Brewers for $325,000 as a fourth-round pick in 2019.

SCOUTING REPORT: A compact, 5-foot-10 catcher, Kahle has some solid defensive tools and is a good receiver with soft hands who works well with pitchers thanks to his maturity and baseball IQ. Amateur scouts had mixed thoughts on his defensive ability though thanks to fringe-average arm strength and consistent tail on his throws, but his first stint in pro ball was strong in that area, as he threw out 53 percent of basestealers in the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Kahle's best tool is his natural hitting ability. He improved as a hitter each season with Washington and has a short, direct swing that's contact-oriented. He pairs that with a fairly polished approach, rarely chasing out of the strike zone and he also draws walks at a solid clip—12.4 percent of the time in the Pioneer and Carolina Leagues—as his college track record indicates. Kahle has below average power that will limit his offensive ceiling, with some scouts expecting around 10 homers over a full season.

THE FUTURE: Some scouts have questioned whether or not Kahle is physical enough to handle catching full time in pro ball, but if he can has a chance to profile nicely with a solid hit tool. Low Class A Wisconsin is up next.
Kahle had a solid, three-year career at Washington after playing high school ball in the Los Angeles area with White Sox prospect Blake Rutherford. He stood out most for his work behind the plate in his pro debut, as he's a plus defender with soft hands, lateral quickness and good receiving skills. Kahle's arm grades as average, but he still threw out more than 50 percent of basestealers both in his final college season and in a small sample in the Pioneer League. A compact swing and an advanced feel for the strike zone will allow Kahle to be enough of an offensive force to complement his defense. He's more of a doubles hitter with some opposite field power. Kahle was noted both in college and in his pro debut for his outstanding makeup. "He's very, very mature," Rocky Mountain manager Nestor Corredor said. "He knows his game."