KC Royals: Nicky Lopez Rookie of the Year candidate for Royals in 2019
MLB.com took a look at every MLB team’s potential Rookie of the Year candidate for 2019 and predicted Nicky Lopez would get that honor for the KC Royals next year.
When looking at the Kansas City Royals‘ position players for the 2019 season, the roster seems mostly set. That will make it difficult for recent fifth round pick Nicky Lopez to see immediate major league action, but MLB.com still pegged Lopez as KC’s Rookie of the Year candidate next year.
The article, written by Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Mike Rosenbaum, looked at every team in Major League Baseball and who their best rookie will be. For the Royals, it was Nicky Lopez, who fans will be excited to watch whenever his major league call-up takes place.
As of now, there really isn’t a use for Lopez. I touched on earlier how the position players are in place for 2019 and it’s very true. Lopez’s two main positions are at second base and shortstop, both of which are occupied by proven players. That’s what MLB.com touched on too, writing,
"Lopez is blocked at the moment by Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi, but he’s also sound in all phases of the game and has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. He should open the season in nothing less than a utility role and should claim at least semi-regular at-bats."
Adalberto Mondesi really showed off at shortstop last season and gave Royals fans hope for the future. Whit Merrifield has spent most of his time at second base though it’s worth pointing out that Merrifield’s future as a Royal is still up in the air.
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Even if Merrifield doesn’t get traded, there’s still a chance Lopez could get a shot at second base, as Merrifield is versatile. He’s been a good outfielder during his time in Kansas City and that’s an area the Royals could slot him in at if they want to give Lopez some playing time.
Lopez, 23, was a fifth round pick by the Royals in the 2016 MLB Draft out of Creighton and has been a star in the minor leagues so far. He’s moved up the minor league ladder rather quickly and while he might not be with the Royals to start the year, he’ll definitely get a call-up this season (or one would think so anyway).
The Creighton product started the 2018 season in Double-AA Northwest Arkansas and was promoted after slashing .331/.397/.416 with the Naturals. Lopez didn’t slow down in Triple-A Omaha with the Stormchasers, slashing .278/.364/.417 with seven home runs and 26 RBI.
It’s been exciting watching Lopez make his way through the Royals farm system and he’s definitely a player that fans could rally around when he gets to Kansas City. The only reason it might be smart not to promote him, however, is that as soon as Lopez gets to the big leagues, his MLB service time clock starts ticking.
If the Royals want to have as long a window as possible, they might want to bring Lopez up when the other “future stars” are major league ready. That isn’t the most important thing, but it is worth mentioning for sure.
Hopefully Nicky Lopez gets a shot to show off what he can do in Kansas City this year. KC Royals fans are excited for what the future has in store for the fifth round pick.