Nicky Lopez
- Free agent est. 1 yr × $2.9M ($2M–$7M) · 0.0 wins to Pittsburgh’s Winter Plan as call-up depth
Hitting · 2026
271 PA: percentiles need 300+, so values only
Platoon splits · swing path
By pitcher handedness
| vs | PA | wOBA | xwOBA | K% | BB% | Chase | Decisions | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHP | 59 | .245 | .254 | 15% | 2% | 36% | −0.47 | −1.67 |
| RHP | 212 | .319 | .289 | 17% | 5% | 34% | −0.17 | −1.81 |
- Attack angle
- 7.7° (58% in 5–20°)
- Attack direction
- +9.8°
- Swing length
- 6.8 ft
- Fast-swing rate
- 1%
- Pull-air %
- 7.2%
- Hard-hit %
- 22.3%
- Slash · wRC+
- .270/.322/.312 · 83
Zone map · 2026
Where he does damage, and where to pitch him
Does the most damage up and in (+3.2 vs. league per 100; 1.4 standard errors on 31 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).
Weakest down and in (−3.0), but only 1.3 standard errors from average on 43 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.
Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average LHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 916 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).
Most similar hitters
Swings like Lopez: bat path, contact quality and approach
| Similarity | Player | xwOBA | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | Christian Vázquez HOU · ’90 | .237 | 0.1 | −0.2 | Free agent |
| 50 | Nathan Lukes TOR · ’94 | .299 | 2.2 | 1.6 | Arb |
| 37 | David Hamilton MIL · ’97 | .285 | 0.4 | 0.7 | Arb |
| 33 | Jeff McNeil ATH · ’92 | .300 | 0.1 | 0.2 | Free agent |
| 32 | Zach McKinstry DET · ’95 | .288 | 0.7 | 1.2 | Arb |
Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.
Fielding
2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.
| Season | Pos | OAA | Range | Arm, DP | Runs | Batters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | RF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 |
| 2026 | 3B | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 |
| 2026 | LF | −2 | −2 | 0.0 | −2.0 | 27 |
| 2026 | SS | +4 | +3 | −0.1 | +2.9 | 698 |
| 2026 | 2B | 0 | 0 | −0.3 | −0.3 | 2,014 |
| 2025 | LF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 |
| 2025 | SS | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 53 |
| 2025 | 3B | +1 | +1 | +0.1 | +1.1 | 237 |
| 2024 | SS | +1 | +1 | −0.6 | +0.4 | 1,557 |
| 2024 | 2B | +4 | +3 | −1.2 | +1.8 | 2,821 |
| 2023 | LF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 53 |
| 2023 | 1B | 0 | 0 | −0.5 | −0.5 | 75 |
| 2023 | SS | +1 | +1 | 0.0 | +1.0 | 325 |
| 2023 | 3B | +4 | +3 | 0.0 | +3.0 | 886 |
| 2023 | 2B | +3 | +3 | +0.1 | +3.1 | 1,321 |
Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.
At 2B in 2026, the biggest loss came toward 1B line (−5 outs): a coaching target.
Tools (percentile; arm among 2Bs)| Play | Made | Chances | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| ★★★★ | 0 | 0 | — |
| ★★★ | 0 | 0 | — |
| ★★ | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| ★ | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Season | Zone | Balls | Outs vs. exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | SS | 64 | −0.7 |
| 2026 | 2B | 182 | −3.0 |
| 2024 | SS | 146 | −4.7 |
| 2024 | 2B | 266 | −2.4 |
The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR
A pending free agent: no club controls his 2027. Contract Studio →
Minor leagues
MLB Stats API · public box-score data
| SeasonLevel | Level | Team | Age | G | PA / IP | PA / IP ·Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026AAA | AAA | Albuquerque Isotopes | 31 | 15 | 62 PA | 62 PA · .333/.387/.519 · 1 HR · 11.3% K · 9.7% BB |
| 2025AAA | AAA | Iowa Cubs | 30 | 70 | 301 PA | 301 PA · .267/.352/.333 · 0 HR · 12.3% K · 11.0% BB |
ABS challenges · 2026
Baseball Savant