:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69638867/2021_header.0.jpg)
A Hawaiian, Wyatt Hee-Wah Asami Young attended Mid-Pacific Institute is a private, college prep school in Honolulu just south of the Koʻolau Range. He supplemented his time with the Owls by playing on a handful of travel ball teams and eventually began getting noticed by college recruiters. After graduating, he ended up choosing to attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, California due to the campus’ small, inclusive size and the city’s similarities to his native Oahu.
Young had an excellent collegiate debut in 2019, earning All- West Coast Conference and being named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman team by hitting .315/.351/.366 in 49 games with 2 home runs, 5 stolen bases, and 10 walks to 38 strikeouts. Following the conclusion of the season, he played for Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League and had a lot of success in the wood bat league, hitting .338/.416/.446 in 39 games. He appeared in 15 games in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, hitting .299/.373/.299, and then appeared in all 45 games the Waves played in 2021, hitting .332/.405/.442 with 3 home runs, 6 stolen bases, and 22 walks to 23 strikeouts.
The 21-year-old is a diminutive 5’7” and weighs 160 pounds and is unlikely to add much mass in the future. As a result, Young has well below-average in-game power. His game is entirely centered around making contact and putting the ball in play, utilizing a short, left-handed stroke. Most of his hits have been and will continue to be singles, as Young does not have much power and because his swing plane is fairly linear, but he occasionally shows gap doubles power. He is aggressive at the plate, but does not swing wildly, rarely walking but rarely striking out. His fringe-average speed allows him to take occasionally take the extra base or steal a bag but is not really a liability or a strength.
Scouts and evaluators are split about his ability with the glove. Because of his limited range and below-average arm, some see a below-average defender limited to just second base. Because of his strong middle infield instincts and positioning from coaches, some see him as a passable, average defender at second who can fill in at shortstop in a pinch.