KC Royals: Nicky Lopez might not be long-term plan at second base
The KC Royals had high hopes for Nicky Lopez when it came to their future at second base. He might not be the answer however.
There was a lot of hype for Nicky Lopez when he was raking in the minor leagues. It was exciting when the Creighton product (who the Kansas City Royals took in the fifth round of the 2016 draft) got his call-up last year, but he didn’t show much in his rookie year.
Lopez finished 2019 with a .240 batting average through 379 at bats. He’s not a power guy, so only hitting two home runs wasn’t a big deal, but Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report doesn’t see the Royals giving Lopez past 2020 to prove himself as the long-term answer at second base.
Reuter wrote up every MLB team’s five-year plan at second base and had the Royals going with Lopez in 2020, but then giving the job back to Whit Merrifield in 2021 and Merrifield holding onto the job through the end of the 2022 season.
More from Kansas City Royals
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
- 3 Royals Players Who Won’t Be on the Roster Next Year
- LAST CHANCE to Claim $250 GUARANTEED Bonus With FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
Merrifield was the Royals second baseman since 2016 while also spending time in the outfield as well. It’s looking like Merrifield will mostly be hanging out in center field for the shortened 2020 season, so Lopez will still get an opportunity to prove himself this year.
"The rebuilding Kansas City Royals can afford to give him another shot, but he’ll need to improve on those numbers to avoid being cast in a backup role.The second base job could always go back to Whit Merrifield, who is transitioning to center field in 2020. Looking at the bigger picture, the eventual arrival of Bobby Witt Jr. could also mean shortstop Adalberto Mondesi moves to the other side of second base in a few years."
As Reuter mentioned, Bobby Witt Jr. being in the farm system and likely making his way to Kansas City in 2023 (rough estimate), Adalberto Mondesi’s position would be in jeopardy. Mondesi has played second base for the Royals before, so it wouldn’t be crazy for him to be moved back to the position where he initially saw playing time.
Even though that’s a possibility, Reuter seemed more confident in Nick Loftin being the future at second base for the Royals and had him slated to take over the position in 2023. Loftin was the Royals’ second round pick this year and played his college career at Baylor.
There’s no shortage of shortstops in the Royals’ farm system with Loftin being yet another at the position. He’d have to switch to second base to make an impact in KC and that’s exactly what Reuter predicts to happen.
The shortened 2020 season will be a big one for Nicky Lopez and while I don’t think it’s necessarily his last shot to prove himself (especially due to the circumstances), it very well could be if Lopez doesn’t show something this year.
Nine Prospects Who Could Make Debuts in 2020. dark. Next
There were certainly high hopes for Lopez, but it’s not uncommon for rookies to struggle at the plate. He deserves past 2020 to show he’s the answer and if he hasn’t done enough by the time other prospects are ready to come up, then that’s when the time will come for them to move on from him.