Kyle Nicolas: Attacks Hitters Base Off ‘Feel’ On The Mound

ALTOONA, Pa. – Kyle Nicolas has some of the best stuff in the Pirates system, capable of reaching the upper 90s with his fastball, mixing in a slider and curveball along the way.

Learning how best to utilize his arsenal, that’s the work he’s been putting in with the Altoona Curve this season.

Double-A is widely looked at as the first real test for minor leaguers on their way to the majors, and pitchers really have to advance beyond the ‘thrower’ stage and really master pitch sequencing, among other things, if they want to move on past it.

For Nicolas, he relies on how he feels and what kind of reads he gets off the hitters to determine how he will attack them.

“At the end of the day, it all comes down to feel, at least for me,” Nicolas told Pirates Prospects. “When I’m out there, if I’m feeling something really good, and honestly just read the hitters. If you think the hitters don’t see a certain pitch well, you just attack and go off of it.”

I’ve written previously about how Nicolas kind of has a two-pronged approach on the mound, attacking high with the curveball, and away with the slider, mixing in the fastball in similar locations to go with what he’s throwing.

He admitted it isn’t always an easy decision on which pitch to go with when discussing his slider.

“Something I struggle more with is curveball or slider, and how to attack them more,” Nicolas said. “I felt confident in both. It’s not like I’m not pitching to my strengths. I’m still pitching to my strengths. It just helps to know what hitters like more.”

The slider is generally rated as his better of the two breaking pitches, but Nicolas’ ability to throw the curveball for strikes has only made it more difficult for hitters to get a read on him.

We know that there are times a pitcher hits the mound and doesn’t have their best stuff, and doesn’t feel it as they go through the motion. Nicolas has an approach for that as well, to slow down as much as possible and look at the task at hand.

“I think for me, it’s just taking a deep breath on the mound, not letting the game speed up on me.”

Really what it comes down to though is his ability to control the next pitch he is about to throw, whatever it ends up being.

“Just taking it one pitch at a time,” said Nicolas. “If you just think ‘execute this pitch right here, this is the only pitch I have right now,’ I think that’s gotten me in a good mindset to be under control and in control of most at-bats that I’m facing.”