On Tuesday, he helped turn four flawless double plays at Truist Park to quell the downward-drifting Yankees. That was one day after he went 3-for-4, drove in three runs and stole a base, and it was three days after he banged a three-run homer and pitched an inning of scoreless relief at the end of a blowout win over the Mets. (Wednesday was a fairly quiet night by comparison – 0-for-3 as the Braves finished the sweep of the Yankees.)
All this from the new Braves utility infielder Nicky Lopez, the latest object of curiosity for Braves fans. On top of that, he’s been a solid teammate and even has dramatically upped the team’s sunflower-seed game.
It’s early, obviously. Lopez, acquired from the Royals at the trade deadline, has been in the employ of the Braves for less than three weeks. But so far, things could scarcely have gone better.
“Since he’s been here, he’s been nothing but a breath of fresh air,” third-base coach Ron Washington told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Impressed with Lopez’s preparation habits, patience and team-first attitude, Washington even has accorded the new Brave a true measure of respect – his own unique on-field greeting. When Lopez reaches base, the one known as Wash snaps off a salute from across the diamond to Lopez, who returns in kind. Washington called it his way of making the new guy feel welcome.
“He’s a tremendous addition, and not only is he a tremendous addition, he’s a great kid,” Washington said.
In his fifth season in the majors but in his first pennant race, Lopez isn’t quite in disbelief over this turn of events, but that’s not far off.
“It was more of, like, this is truly kind of a dream come true to be able to play for a first-place team, to be able to perform for them and come in and help a team win,” Lopez said in an interview Tuesday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
When he was acquired July 30 for just-passing-through pitcher Taylor Hearn, Lopez knew he wouldn’t see the field much. His job was to be a late-inning defensive replacement, pinch run or give one of the starters a break. Lopez can play second, shortstop and third – multiple Fangraphs metrics speak to his superior ability as a defender – and he has played first base and the outfield. A shelf at the top of his locker is filled with a collection of gloves.
Lopez eagerly accepted the assignment. Playing for a World Series contender helps. In his first four major league seasons, all in Kansas City, the Royals pulled off a regrettable double; they finished a combined 98 games out of first and the same number of games under .500. This season was no better; the Royals were 32-75 when Lopez was sent to Atlanta.
After arriving in Atlanta, Lopez got into a game only once in his first 11 with the team, a pinch-running assignment. He stayed sharp by taking infield practice with Washington, paid attention to the game from the dugout and kept any frustration about not playing to himself. He finally got a chance Saturday when manager Brian Snitker gave All-Star shortstop Orlando Arcia a break for the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets. In his first start, Lopez merely went 4-for-6 with a home run and finished off the 21-3 blowout by pitching a scoreless ninth, relying on knuckleballs and cutters.
His value soared Sunday when All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies strained a hamstring and was placed on the 10-day injured list a day later. Lopez has started the three games since and has proved a capable sub.
“On top of him very productive lately, he’s a great dude,” said pitcher Bryce Elder, who held the Yankees scoreless for seven innings with Lopez’s defensive assistance as the Braves won 5-0. “He’s going to help us out a lot.”
In only a few games, Lopez already has managed to find a place in the Braves record books. With five RBIs Saturday and three more Monday, his eight RBIs were the most by a Braves player in his first four games with the club since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, this despite batting in only two of the four games. What’s more, he collected the eight RBIs in 10 plate appearances with the Braves. In 190 plate appearances with the Royals, he drove in all of 13 runs.
Given the volume of great players who have adorned a Braves jersey, Lopez categorized his place in team history as “insane.”
Besides his historically productive start with the club, Lopez also introduced a better sunflower seed to the clubhouse. Lopez discovered Chacha sunflower seeds while playing for Team Italy in Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic in March (Lopez’s great grandparents were from Italy) and got hooked. On Tuesday, a shipment of coconut and spiced flavor seeds (grown in China, according to the company) sat at the foot of his locker. Lopez, who describes the seeds as “unbelievable,” has eagerly shared his bounty with the teammates who have welcomed him into their circle.
“It’s a family here,” he said. “You can tell how much they truly love being with each other, love playing together. They cherish each other’s time, they truly do care about each other, and I noticed that right from the start. Just to be a part of it is unbelievable.”
Lopez has seen behavior such as players being genuinely excited for teammates getting hits or making plays in the field. At this level, that’s not a given.
“I had two good weeks to sit back and watch before I played, and you could just tell how much everyone cares about each other and how they mingle in the clubhouse,” he said. “It’s cool.”
In the following way, you may know someone like Lopez, who grew up outside Chicago (Naperville) and played collegiately at Creighton before he was a fifth-round pick of the Royals in 2016. Work brought him from the Midwest to Atlanta, and now he thinks he might like to stay. He volunteered that preference as he reviewed the arc of his career. He was saying how grateful he was to have played five major league seasons, with 10 years his next milestone.
“That’s the next goal, and if it’s with the Braves, that’s something I’m very interested in,” Lopez said.
It wasn’t the subtlest of hints, and it said something. Lopez has been a full-time starter before, and he hit .300 in one of those seasons (2021). And he must know that the Braves are locked in at second, third and short for the foreseeable future with players who don’t like taking days off. But being a versatile backup for a perennial contender with teammates he has meshed with has the feel of a potential long-term home.
“I’m happy to be able to show everyone that I can fill a spot when they need me,” said Lopez, who is under team control through 2025.
Albies’ injury after starting the first 117 games of the season has made this look like another prescient roster move by general manager Alex Anthopoulos. It remains to be seen if Vaughn Grissom, called up from Triple-A Gwinnett in response to Albies going on the IL, will get a shot to start at second. Snitker was noncommittal on the topic Tuesday. But Lopez looks like a roster piece that the club trusts and who clearly fits into the clubhouse.
As the Braves pursue a World Series title, Lopez likely won’t make the same level of difference that Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson and Adam Duvall famously did in 2021 as trade-deadline pickups, but the Braves don’t need as much help now as they did then. All he can do is the job he’s been asked to do.
If anyone needs a gauge on how that’s going, check the third-base box the next time Lopez reaches base.
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