When it comes to pure stuff, not many can match what Kyle Nicolas brings when he is on the mound. Acquired in the Jacob Stallings trade, the righty out of Ball State topped the century mark in strikeouts during his first season in the Pirates system.
Due to a crowded picture in Indianapolis, Nicolas is beginning this season in Altoona once again, although that isn’t all bad having to repeat the same level.
The Pirates could have shifted him to the bullpen, and have him pitch in Triple-A, awaiting the call to the majors.
They liked him enough to keep him as a starter, and although that means starting the year in Double-A again, it shows the Pirates have big plans for him.
He got the Opening Day start for the Curve, and showed exactly what he has to offer, as well as the battle he’s still fighting.
Nicolas was unhittable for the majority of the day, in fact it was just a lone double he allowed in his 4.2 innings of work. It was just the fact that the double was after he loaded the bases with three straight walks.
K-Nick @kylenicolas19 putting his name to good use with a perfect first inning on the mound! pic.twitter.com/Do4Dkn1LtH
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 6, 2023
After the bases-clearing double, he retired 10 of the next 11 hitters he faced, before getting pulled from the game after 83 pitches.
When thinking about the upper level pitching prospects, Nicolas is mostly an afterthought. From a pure stuff standpoint, he’s closer to the rest than people think.
The Pirates put him in a position to put it all together and become a legitimate starting pitcher candidate. While the control is still obviously something to monitor, we saw exactly why they are so excited about him on Thursday.
– Travis Swaggerty picked up four hits between two games, including a home run (game one) and a triple (game two) to lead-off each half of the doubleheader. He’s had some swing and miss issues early, but he’s been one of the more consistent hitters on a team still looking to find its footing offensively.
– I wrote about Tucupita Marcano the other day, but he just continues to impress. He’s played four different positions, and has made a strong defensive play in almost all of them. Not only that, but he’s also hitting, and doing so for power.
He will always be a little tricky fitting onto the Major League roster, as the positions he plays already have a heavy influence of left-handed hitters there. If he keeps producing like this, he may force his way into a chance regardless.
– Nicolas isn’t the only prospect to watch this season in the Altoona rotation, as both Jared Jones and Sean Sullivan are also ‘sleepers’ in their own way. Jones has some of the best stuff in the system, and like Nicolas it’s more about harnessing it than anything.
Sullivan was beat up in Greensboro, and could benefit as much as anyone with the move up to Double-A. He has great command of his fastball, and plays his breaking pitches well off of it.
Daily Video Rundown
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Travis Swaggerty with a lead off home run to get game 1 of the double header started #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/G9Q1jJ700x
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) April 6, 2023
Swaggerty had himself quite a day, picking up four hits across two games. He led off with a home run in game one, followed by a triple in game two.
Travis Swaggerty leads off game 2 with a triple, after hitting a home run during the first game #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/D6vwfSfnLN
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) April 7, 2023
Matt Gorski was well on his way to a potential 30-30 season in 2022 when a quad injury cut his year short. He’s back in Altoona to begin the year, and got things off to a great start by hitting a home run on Opening Day.
The first home run of the season belongs to @matthew_gorski7, a solo shot to make it a 3-1 game!
LISTEN: https://t.co/aioWvW3Svf
WATCH: https://t.co/6GP894jPtF pic.twitter.com/IGLxGHVapp— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 6, 2023
Pirates Prospects Daily
By John Dreker
No Pirates game yesterday, but we were busy on the site with minor league previews, news and thoughts. Here are the links from yesterday. The Pirates are at PNC Park today for their home opener. They have a 4:12 PM start time.
**Prospect Watch: Indy Gets In The Win Column, Altoona Routed In Opener
**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Indianapolis Indians
**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Altoona Curve
**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Greensboro Grasshoppers
**Pirates 2023 Minor League Previews: Bradenton Marauders
**Minor Moves: Altoona Sets Active Roster for Opening Day
**Prospect Notes: Chandler, Solometo and Cheng Impress; Indianapolis is Among the Best
**Williams: Three Prospects I’m Following in the Pirates System This Year
**Mets Claim RHP Edwin Uceta from the Pirates
**Pirates Prospects Daily: Six Observations, Six Games Into The Season
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