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Nicky Lopez

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Nicky Lopez
Lopez with the Kansas City Royals in 2023
Free agent
Shortstop / Second baseman
Born: (1995-03-13) March 13, 1995 (age 29)
Naperville, Illinois, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 14, 2019, for the Kansas City Royals
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.248
Home runs7
Runs batted in152
Stolen bases47
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Nicholas Lopez (born March 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut with them in 2019. He has also played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox.

Amateur career

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Lopez attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois. In 2013, as a senior, he batted .398.[1] Naperville Central High School inducted Lopez into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, January 26, 2024.[2] After high school, he enrolled and played college baseball at Creighton University.[3] In 2016, his junior season, he hit .306 with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 55 games. After the season, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[4][5]

Professional career

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Kansas City Royals

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Lopez made his professional debut with the Burlington Royals[6] and spent the whole 2016 season there, posting a .281 batting average with six home runs, 29 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 62 games. In 2017, he spent time with both the Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, batting a combined .279 with two home runs, 38 RBIs, 24 stolen bases and a .704 OPS in 129 games.[7][8] After the season, the Royals assigned Lopez to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League.[9] He began 2018 with Northwest Arkansas and was promoted to the Omaha Storm Chasers in June. In 130 total games between the two clubs, Lopez batted .308/.382/.417 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs.[10]

Lopez began 2019 back with Omaha.[11] On May 14, his contract was selected and he was called up to the major leagues for the first time.[12] He made his debut that night versus the Texas Rangers.[13]

Overall with the 2020 Kansas City Royals, Lopez batted .201 with one home run and 13 RBIs in 56 games.[14] He had the lowest slugging percentage of all qualified hitters in the AL, at .266.[15] Lopez was nominated for the Gold Glove at second base, having erroneously been omitted from the initial list of finalists.[16] He eventually lost out on the award to César Hernández of Cleveland.

Lopez in 2023

During spring training in 2021, Lopez switched his uniform number from No. 1 to No 8 to allow Jarrod Dyson to wear No 1. Having hit .118 in 34 at-bats in Spring Training, Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Omaha, with Whit Merrifield expected to assume the starting second baseman role.[17] However, an injury to shortstop Adalberto Mondesí in the final game of Spring Training forced him onto the injured list, and Lopez began the regular season as the Royals shortstop.[18] Mondesí was activated and made his season debut on May 25, but returned to the injured list with a separate injury on June 6.[19][20] Lopez was listed on the Royals All-Star ballot at the designated hitter position, despite not having played a game there during the season, as the team put Mondesí on the ballot at shortstop and Merrifield at second base.[21] On August 19, Lopez hit his first home run of the season in a 3–6 loss against the Houston Astros.[22] Lopez ended 2021 with 78 runs, 43 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a .300 batting average, becoming the first regular Royals shortstop to bat .300 or better in a season.[23] Defensively, he led all qualifying AL shortstops with a .987 fielding percentage.

Atlanta Braves

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On July 30, 2023, the Royals traded Lopez to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Taylor Hearn.[24][25] In his first start for the Braves on August 12, Lopez recorded four hits, including a 3-run home run, at the plate and finished the game on the mound, pitching a scoreless ninth inning in a 21–3 victory against the New York Mets.[26]

Chicago White Sox

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On November 16, 2023, the Braves traded Lopez to the Chicago White Sox, along with Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster, Braden Shewmake, and Riley Gowens for Aaron Bummer.[27][28] He played in 124 games for the White Sox in 2024, slashing .241/.312/.294 with one home run, 21 RBI, and five stolen bases. On November 12, 2024, Lopez was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A Charlotte Knights, but he rejected the assignment and elected free agency.[29]

International career

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Lopez with the WBC Italy national team at Tokyo Dome on March 16, 2023

Lopez played for the Italy national baseball team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[30]

References

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  1. ^ Baumgartner, Blake (May 16, 2019). "'I wanted to take it all in': Nicky Lopez the first Naperville Central player to reach the major leagues". Chicagotribune.com. Naperville Sun. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  2. ^ Cornwell, Justin (January 27, 2024). "Headlined by Nicky Lopez, Naperville Central inducts the Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024". NCTV17. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "In a groove at the plate, Jays' shortstop Nicky Lopez adds to skills with the glove | Creighton". Omaha.com. March 24, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  4. ^ Chasen, Scott (January 20, 2016). "Royals pick Nicholas Lopez overcomes adversity | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "Creighton junior shortstop Nicky Lopez turning pro after being selected in MLB draft | Creighton". Omaha.com. June 10, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Bob Sutton. "He's stealing the show: Burlington Royals shortstop Nicky Lopez keeps energy high, mood light - Sports - The Times-News - Burlington, NC". The Times-News. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  7. ^ "Nicky Lopez Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  8. ^ "Big jump for Blue Rocks starting shortstop Nicky Lopez". Delawareonline.com. April 5, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  9. ^ "Surprise Saguaros Active Roster". Major League Baseball. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  10. ^ "Nicky Lopez Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  11. ^ Boone, Tony (March 27, 2019). "Former Creighton standout Nicky Lopez ready for Omaha, with an eye on Kansas City". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  12. ^ Lynn Worthy; Blair Kerkhoff (May 13, 2019). "Hot-hitting Royals prospect Nicky Lopez is headed to the major leagues". Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals Box Score, May 14, 2019". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  14. ^ "Nicky Lopez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "2020 American League Standard Batting". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  16. ^ O'Brien, Kevin (October 23, 2020). "Looking at Nicky Lopez's weird Gold Glove nomination announcement (and candidacy)". The Royals Reporter.
  17. ^ Rogers, Anne (March 28, 2021). "Lopez optioned to Triple-A after tough spring". MLB.com.
  18. ^ Rogers, Anne (March 31, 2021). "Notes: Mondesi on IL; Isbel incoming". MLB.com.
  19. ^ Rogers, Anne (May 25, 2021). "Mondesi: It's good to be back with Royals". MLB.com.
  20. ^ Rogers, Anne (June 6, 2021). "Mondesi (left hamstring strain) lands on IL". MLB.com.
  21. ^ Rieper, Max (June 3, 2021). "Nicky Lopez is the Royals DH on the All-Star ballot, so let's vote him in". Royals Review.
  22. ^ Wolf, Jordan (August 19, 2021). "'Awesome': Lopez ends his homer drought". MLB.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  23. ^ Hammoud, Batoul (October 7, 2021). "KC Royals: Nicky Lopez finishes strong breakout season". Kingsofkauffman.com. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  24. ^ Rogers, Anne (July 30, 2023). "Royals trade versatile Lopez to Braves". MLB.com. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  25. ^ "Braves get INF Nicky Lopez from Royals for LHP Taylor Hearn". ESPN.com. Reuters. July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  26. ^ "Ozzie Albies leads Braves' six-home run, 21-3 blowout of Mets". ESPN.com. August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  27. ^ Toscano, Justin (November 16, 2023). "Braves trade Michael Soroka, four others to White Sox for reliever Aaron Bummer". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  28. ^ O'Brien, David (November 16, 2023). "Braves acquire reliever Aaron Bummer from White Sox in exchange for Soroka, Shuster, Lopez, Shewmake". The Athletic. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  29. ^ "Nicky Lopez, Sammy Peralta Elect Free Agency". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  30. ^ Swartz, Gabe (November 8, 2022). "Pasquantino and Lopez to play for Team Italy in WBC". www.kctv5.com.
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