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Royals Promote Nicky Lopez

By Jeff Todd | May 13, 2019 at 5:22pm CDT

The Royals have selected the contract of young infielder Nicky Lopez, per a club announcement. Righty Jake Newberry will be optioned to open an active roster spot; the 40-man move will be announced tomorrow.

Lopez’s ascent comes as a bit of a surprise. It was just two days ago, after all, that the club indicated it’d be utilizing Whit Merrifield primarily at second base. Instead, the veteran will be bumped into right field while Lopez will take the reins at the keystone. GM Dayton Moore explained that he and skipper Ned Yost changed course after discussing the matter over the weekend. (Via Rustin Dodd of The Athletic, on Twitter.)

The 24-year-old Lopez was taken out of Creighton in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He is known more for his sturdiness than the types of loud tools that would suggest a lofty ceiling in the majors.

Lopez’s contact ability and keen approach were on display last year, when he logged a .382 on-base percentage and walked more than he struck out in a season split between the two highest levels of the minors. Entering the current campaign, he was billed as one of the organization’s ten best prospects.

While Lopez was already very much on the radar, it’s fair to say he has raised his stock quite a bit already in 2019. He hasn’t yet added significant power — and may never do so, unless he can follow the paths of a select few others that have turned contact ability into dingers in the majors — but Lopez has taken his skillset to new heights in the early going.

Over 138 plate appearances this year for Omaha, Lopez carries a .353/.457/.500 slash line with an outlandish combination of twenty walks against just five strikeouts. (That sort of BB/K ratio is associated with the original Billy Hamilton and his contemporaries, not the active Billy Hamilton who’ll soon be Lopez’s teammate.) He has also successfully swiped nine bags in a dozen attempts, which suggests an avenue for expanding his offensive value with a club that is more willing than most to tempt fate on the base paths.

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Kansas City Royals Transactions Jake Newberry Nicky Lopez Whit Merrifield

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View Comments (26)

Comments

  1. DTD

    3 years ago

    Whit is fine in the OF and it only makes sense for rebuilding teams to bring up the young guys and see what they can do.

    Reply
  2. JaysForDays

    3 years ago

    Anyone going by Nicky as an adult isn’t a serious person, let alone prospect.

    Reply
    • SuperSinker

      3 years ago

      Okay internet commenter lol

      Reply
    • yankeemanuno23

      3 years ago

      U r sick ! Stupid comment

      Reply
    • jorge78

      3 years ago

      Well gosh, that makes sense!

      Reply
    • tylerall5

      3 years ago

      Ever think that might be his actual name?

      Reply
      • JDGoat

        3 years ago

        If you believe Wikipedia it’s not…

        Reply
        • RoyalsFanAmongWolves

          3 years ago

          His full name is Nicholas. I have his first bowman card. It says Nicholas Lopez. At least there won’t be confusion with NICK Pratto, lol.

    • JDGoat

      3 years ago

      Next you’re going to tell us to take away one of baseballs all time best names; Scooter Gennett?

      Reply
    • Tdskaine713

      3 years ago

      Lol this guy

      Reply
    • Strike Four

      3 years ago

      You know movies aren’t real life? Little Nicky was a story, not a way to think.

      Reply
    • Cam

      3 years ago

      I’d throw some shade at you, but Canada is so far behind, you wouldn’t see it until next year. When the Jays still won’t be contenders.

      Reply
  3. zcoughlin2

    3 years ago

    Lopez at 2nd, Whit in CF/RF. Best option for the Royals long term to see what they have in Lopez. Kid definitely earned the call up.

    Reply
  4. JDC

    3 years ago

    JaysForDays is an IDIOT!!

    Reply
  5. Bjoe

    3 years ago

    About time! Now please DFA Chris Owings

    Reply
    • bigun

      3 years ago

      My sentiments exactly

      Reply
    • wesstl

      3 years ago

      We can only hope.

      Reply
    • RoyalsFanAmongWolves

      3 years ago

      Sadly, Moore says “owings is still an integral part of this team & Yost will manage his playing time”
      ‍♀️ My guess the 40 man move will involve moving Duda to the 60 day IL. The 25 man move has already been made with newberry being optioned

      I saw Nicky play in a game in Omaha last year. he’s not as fast as mondesi, but he’s fun to watch.

      Reply
  6. tecjug

    3 years ago

    You misspelled, “The Royals granted infielder Chris Owings his unconditional release to open an active roster spot.”

    Reply
    • RoyalsFanAmongWolves

      3 years ago

      Sadly this won’t happen, at least not right now. He’s wearing #2 & #2 to ned “blind as a bat” yost is Alcides Escobar & that’s my theory for why he was playing every day.

      Reply
  7. mr. cub10

    3 years ago

    That’s an ignorant comment. He happens to be a very good prospect for the Royals and has a good chance to be a very good major league player.

    Reply
    • RoyalsFanAmongWolves

      3 years ago

      His AFL (Arizona fall league) stats were good. He even hit a grand Slam iirc

      Reply
  8. Strike Four

    3 years ago

    Just days after “No more Whit in the OF”, my lord this team is a mess.

    It was always such a twilight zone when Moore and Sabean were the darlings of the baseball world, because both of them have pretty much been wildly incompetent their entire careers, they only had luck go their way a few times that came out with titles for them. However, non-title years are always filled with terrible front officing like this.

    Reply
  9. Moneyballer

    3 years ago

    The Pride of Naperville, Illinois! Naperville Central Redhawks! He outworked his way to the show, very proud of you! Royals fans better get ready for a new everyday player! Legit.

    Reply
  10. GarryHarris

    3 years ago

    Nicky Lopez is already being compared with Sliding Billy Hamilton. The Royals rebuild is coming along quietly and efficiently.

    Does anyone know anything about LH Jake Kalish?

    Reply
  11. RoyalsFanAmongWolves

    3 years ago

    Jake Kalish is 27 (will be 28 in July) has 2-2 record with a 4.24 ERA in 5 games.
    Stats are from my first pitch MiLB app.

    Reply

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