Kyle
Nicolas

8/16/15
6-foot-2, 170-pound tall, projectable frame with room to fill out. Right-handed hitter with a fluid leg kick and hands back for his load. Swing tends to get in and out of the zone with 83 mph exit velocity and 4.82 speed home to first. In the infield he shows good range and soft hands. Exchange is clean and from over top he showed 81 mph arm strength across the diamond. Really projects on the mound. Easy delivery with good lift and is on line at foot strike. Throws from an long, easy, over the top arm action with fastball sitting 84-87 mph topping out at 88. Throws two different breaking balls. His curveball has bigger 12/6 action at 70-73 mph. Shows a cut fastball with side to side action at 78-83 mph. Has really good arm speed on his changeup at 73-76 mph with good life and sink to it.

8/10/14
5-foot-11, 145 pound lanky frame. From the infield he bounces around and shows decent range with a pretty clean exchange. Throws from a high ¾ slot with top velocity of 71 mph across the diamond. Right handed hitter with a good load and small stride to stay balanced. Short to the ball with top exit velocity of 72 mph and 5.3 home to first. On the mound the righty has a quick tempo delivery and throws from at high ¾ slot. His fastball has some run and is downhill sitting 79-81 mph. Shows good depth on his 12 to 6 breaking ball at 66-70 mph.

2020 DRAFT: After serving as the Cardinals closer to kick off the 2019 campaign, injuries thrust Nicolas into the rotation down the stretch. While the end results were mixed (2-2, 6.02, 55.1 IP, 82 SO), he flashed a plus fastball/slider combination, although he struggled with control (51 BBs). This spring the big right-hander came out of the gates quickly, working into the upper-90s during his first start at Georgia Southern with eight strikeouts in five shutout innings. His fastball sat 93-98 in the 2300 rpm range and he flashed a plus slider at 86-90 mph with spin in the 2300-2600 rpm range. The fastball played much better than previous seasons, as Nicolas has made some adjustments to his delivery, staying in his legs more and finishing with better extension out front. He also used a below average 87-89 mph changeup very sparingly. His last start in Week Four against Sacred Heart was his most impressive performance with 17 strikeouts in seven innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. The big velocity comes easy for Nicolas, who works downhill from a high three-quarters arm slot, and he's not afraid to challenge hitters inside. He has the body type and arm strength to be a top-round pick, and must continue to refine his command and develop his changeup for a chance to start at the next level.

9/23/19: After serving as the Cardinals closer to kick off the 2019 campaign, injuries thrust Kyle Nicolas into the rotation down the stretch. While the end results were up and down (2-2, 6.04), he flashed a plus fastball/slider combination throughout the spring, although he struggled with control (51 walks in 55.1 innings). The big right-hander was impressive over the weekend, working ahead with the fastball that sat 92-to-96 before putting them away with a hard, biting late breaking slider at 87-to-89 mph. While the command of both offerings was below average in the outing, he worked consistently enough around the strike zone to be effective. The velocity comes easy for Nicolas, who works downhill from a high three-quarters arm slot, and he showed that he’s not afraid to challenge hitters inside. He has Day One upside but will need to cut down on the free passes this spring to realize that potential. (Granger)

8/19/19: Power armed righty who showed a big fastball up to 97 mph with inconsistent command (21 walks in 24 IP). He profiles as a reliever at the next level and will likely be considered in the top 5 rounds this June. In a late look for Aaron Fitt, Nicolas sat 92-94 mph for two innings with a fastball in the 2300 rpm range, but he repeatedly missed arm-side and up with the pitch in his first inning of work, before making adjustments and locating better in his second frame. He flashed a plus slider at 84-88 mph with spin in the 2300-2600 rpm range, and his 86 mph changeup was below-average on this look. Nicolas has the body and arm strength to be a very intriguing prospect, but he must refine his mechanics and command. (Faleris)