Lopez was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He joined the Royals organization after an outstanding junior season at Creighton and spent the next few seasons working his way through the minor league system.
In 2018, he split his time between AA and AAA, with promising results following the promotion.
Lopez hit .278/.364/.417 in 57 games with Omaha, including a career-high seven home runs. A.457 OBP and .500 SLG combined for an incredible .957 OPS to start the following campaign.
Lopez had clearly mastered Triple-A pitching and was ready to join the MLB team despite not being a power hitter.
Lopez made his Royals debut on May 14 and appeared in 102 games in 2019. His season stats (.240/.276/.325 line with an OPS of.601) aren’t pretty (.240/.276/.325 line with an OPS of.601).
However, a closer look at the splits reveals that he progressed during the season.
Lopez hit .221 with an OBP of .261 in his first 75 games of the season. He struck out 41 times while walking 15 times.
Overall, the man known for his cool demeanor at the plate appeared absolutely befuddled. Something seemed to click after that.
From the middle of August through the end of the month, Lopez had a 12-game hitting streak. From the start of the streak until the last game of the season (a 28-game sample size), he hit .298/.320/.436 with only 10 strikeouts.
The second baseman had an OPS of .778 in September. Lopez’s performance towards the end of the season gives him a lot of optimism for 2020. He accomplished all of this while also battling a hand ailment.
How Tall Is Nicky Lopez?
Nicky Lopez is 1.8 m tall.
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