Nicky Lopez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #5 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Lopez was a three-year starter at Creighton. As a Blue Jay he steadily improved, showing a solid glove and a sparkplug mentality as a hitter. The Royals were enamored with his approach and said they believed he was among the best college shortstops in the 2016 draft class, even though 11 college shortstops were drafted before him. Three years later, he's living up to those expectations. The overachieving Lopez continued to impress in 2018 by advancing to Triple-A midway through his second full professional season. He has walked more than he has struck out and posted a .371 on-base percentage in his pro career.
  
  Scouting Report: Lopez is a smart and instinctive ballplayer who consistently plays above his solid but unspectacular tools. While he needs to keep adding strength to his slight frame, he has good barrel control and understands the strike zone. He works counts and knows how to take his walks. He's an above-average hitter with excellent on-base skills, even if he likely never will hit more than 10 home runs. While his range at either shortstop or second base is no better than average, he gets his body in the right position to make plays, and his average arm is enough because of an excellent internal clock. Lopez is extremely reliable--he made only five errors in 2018 and made zero errors in 32 games at second base. He's a plus runner with good instincts on the bases.
  
  The Future: With Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi set in the Royals' middle infield, Lopez will get additional seasoning at Triple-A. While not yet on the 40-man roster, he likely will make his big league debut in 2019. He is at least an option as utility infielder, but he has potential to be an everyday second baseman if the opportunity arises.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #7 prospect in 2018
  The Royals were thrilled to get Lopez with their fifth-round pick in a 2016 draft that was weak in college shortstops, and their enthusiasm for the Creighton product showed when he made it to Double-A Northwest Arkansas by the middle of his first full year. Lopez was a Carolina League all-star in his first full pro season. Lopez is an instinctive leader on the field with a high baseball IQ, a gamer with a lithe build and athleticism who will consistently play above his tools. He's a line-drive, base-hit type of hitter who takes good at-bats and gets on base with his good understanding of the strike zone and patient approach. He strokes balls gap-to-gap with a good feel for hitting, projecting as an above-average hitter but with well below-average power. He's a plus runner with good baserunning instincts. Lopez is an average defender now at both middle infield positions and could end up above-average at second. He's not flashy, but with good range and instincts Lopez gets to the ball and makes the plays. He has enough arm for shortstop and knows just how much to use to get runners out. It's at least an average arm now and projects to be above-average with added strength. Lopez has a high floor as a utility infielder but with the chance to grow into an everyday shortstop or second baseman. His lack of power does limit his ceiling, but he also knows he's not a power hitter and does a good job of getting on base and playing a small ball game. Raul A. Mondesi, the heir apparent at shortstop now that Alcides Escobar has become a free agent, has much louder tools than Lopez. But Lopez has impressive feel and reliability that could work into a utility role in the not-too-distant future. And if Mondesi stumbles against offensively, he could move into an even larger role.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #13 prospect in 2017
  If the 2015 draft was notable for college shortstops at the head of the class--Dansby Swanson went No. 1 and Alex Bregman No. 2-- the 2016 class was notable for its lack of first-round shortstops. The Royals were thrilled to find Lopez still available in the fifth round, since they had him near the top of their college-shortstop board. A lefthanded hitter, he has a plus arm and enough athleticism to stay at the position, thanks to soft hands and excellent body control. Lopez hit two home runs in three college seasons, but freed from power-sapping TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, he hit six home runs at Rookie-level Burlington. He projects as a below-average power hitter, but he can catch up to fastballs and has a solid feel for the strike zone, which gives him a shot to be a top-of-the-order hitter with an average hit tool and plus speed on the bases. The Royals are thrilled with his makeup and grinder mentality. Lopez has enough experience for the Royals to contemplate sending him to high Class A Wilmington in 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #401 prospect in 2016 draft
  In a draft thin on college shortstops who can remain at the position as pros, Lopez's athleticism, body control and plus arm should ensure that he gets picked at some point on day two. Lopez has excellent quickness, soft hands, turns double plays well and is especially solid when he's coming in on grounders. A lefthanded-hitting contact hitter with very little power, Lopez puts the ball in play enough to be a bottom-of-the-order regular.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #12 prospect in 2018
  Voted as the Texas League’s best defensive shortstop in BA’s annual Best Tools survey, Lopez added to his prospect reputation this season by hitting .331 with an .814 OPS in 73 games in Double-A. Though he is never going to hit for much power, Lopez did have a career-high nine home runs this year, although only two of them came while he was playing for Northwest Arkansas. Evaluators consistently lauded Lopez for his barrel control and his approach at the plate, both of which helped him post an impressive strikeout rate of just 7.1 percent compared to a 10.2 percent walk rate. Lopez is an above-average runner who has stolen at least 15 bases in each of his three pro seasons, and he has good range and a solid-average arm at shortstop.
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  Ranked American League #19 prospect in 2016
  Lopez quickly established himself as a gamer with plus makeup. Evaluators lauded his character and work ethic as well as on-field body language and demeanor. His tools are not explosive, but the sum of his parts makes him an intriguing high-floor prospect. Lopez is a sure-handed shortstop with above-average range and plus hands. He doesn't take plays off and has a knack for reading the ball off the bat, reacting quickly and accurately. His arm grades as above-average for some evaluators and plus for others. He's a plus runner and can reach first base from home in 4.15 seconds on a routine ground ball. Lopez has a crouched, open setup and looks to step forward and transfer his weight into the ball, but he projects for below-average power. He has a sound understanding of the strike zone and does not expand it regularly. His offensive track record is light and limited, but this summer was an encouraging sign.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Lopez continues to defy the ever-diminishing pool of doubters who don’t think the Creighton product is durable enough and strong enough to impact the baseball, reaching Triple-A in only his second full season. He immediately showed he wasn’t intimidated at that level, getting four hits in his first game with Omaha. Lopez a smart ballplayer who knows his swing, understands the strike zone and has good control of the barrel. On the field he’s always in position to make the plays and his average arm is good for either middle infield position.