Chris Nicoll
| IP | 403 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.908 |
| WHIP | 1.243 |
| BB/9 | 3.037 |
| SO/9 | 9.268 |
- Full name Christopher R. Nicoll
- Born 10/30/1983 in Whittier, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School UC Irvine
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Drafted in the 3rd round (82nd overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2005 (signed for $445,000).
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Nicoll has drawn favorable comparisons to Jason Windsor, who led Cal State Fullerton to the 2004 College World Series title and was the event's Most Outstanding Player. There is a parallel between the two because new UC Irvine coach Dave Serrano worked with Windsor as the pitching coach at Fullerton before he took the Irvine job. Like Windsor, Nicoll has an excellent feel for pitching. He commands an 88-90 mph fastball to both sides of the plate and has a knack for making hitters swing at pitches out of the strike zone. Overall, his stuff is a little short. His slider is inconsistent but he gets good deception. Tall and lanky with a refined delivery, Nicoll projects to throw harder. He is coming off a fine season last summer in the Cape Cod League, where he went 4-1, 1.70 for Orleans. After being used in a swing role his first two years, he has been the ace of the Anteaters staff this spring, going 6-3, 2.34 with nine-inning averages of 9.2 strikeouts and 1.9 walks. Like Windsor, he has a chance to go as high as the third round but also could go as late as the fifth or sixth.
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The Royals may have hit on back-to-back college righthanders in the third round, taking Nicoll in 2005 and Blake Wood last year. Kansas City liked Nicoll's strong performance in the Cape Cod League in 2004 and at UC Irvine the following spring, and it has carried over into pro ball. Prior to last season Nicoll didn't have a standout pitch, but his slider has improved drastically and is now his best offering. He throws it with short, tight rotation at around 83 mph, though he has yet to master full command of it. Kansas City has moved him from the first-base side of the rubber to the third-base side to improve the angle on his slider against righthanders. His darting fastball sits at 88-90 mph and he locates it well on both sides of the plate. Nicoll tends to pitch too much off of his slider and also needs to incorporate his changeup more. He earned a late-season promotion to high Class A and could begin 2007 there. -
A 43rd-round pick by the Blue Jays out of high school in 2002, Nicoll improved his draft stock 40 rounds after three years at UC Irvine. He went 6-4, 2.50 with a 113-24 strikeout-walk ratio in 112 innings as a junior, beating Jays first-rounder Ricky Romero and then-No. 1 Cal State Fullerton in one start and holding Arizona's powerful offense hitless for six innings in another. Signed for $445,000, Nicoll doesn't offer a dominant pitch, but he succeeds with above-average command, feel and confidence. His fastball usually operates in the high 80s, but he throws it to both sides of the plate and keeps it knee-high nearly all the time. His slider and changeup are average, though he'll need one to improve if he's going to be anything more than a long reliever. The Royals took Nicoll for his polish and believe he'll move quickly through a system thin on advanced pitching talent. He could jump to high Class A to begin his first full season.
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- Rated Best Control in the Kansas City Royals in 2007
- Rated Best Control in the Kansas City Royals in 2006
