Winston Nicacio

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2016
DSL:  3-3-0, 4.80 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 54.1 IP, 6.0 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

Nicacio wasn’t especially effective in his debut, in which he mostly served as a starter.  He had control problems but did have a solid K rate.

2017
R:  4-3-0, 2.61 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 6.8 K/9
A+:  0-1-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 6.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

St. Louis moved Nicacio up to rookie ball, where he started eight games and relieved in five.  His control improved a good deal, but he also got hit harder than his ERA suggests.  A third of the runs he allowed were unearned.  He also filled in a couple times in high A.

2018
A-:  3-2-1, 3.24 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 41.2 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 9.1 K/9
A:  1-1-0, 7.00 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 6.0 K/9

Nicacio started the season in the rotation in low A, but struggled badly.  After six games, five starts, the Cards sent him to the New York-Penn League.  He did much better there, with a good K rate but weak control.  Five of his 16 games were starts.  The Pirates selected him in the minor league phase of Rule 5 after the season.

2019
A-:  2-1-0, 2.96 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 24.1 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 8.1 K/9
A:  2-3-1, 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 0.7 BB/9, 8.1 K/9

Nicacio went back to the NYPL to start the season, making two starts out of eight games.  He pitched well apart from continued control issues.  In late July, the Pirates moved him up to Greensboro, where he pitched mostly as a starter.  The results were nearly identical to the lower level, except he stopped walking hitters almost entirely.  Overall, he had no platoon split.

Nicacio pitched very well in his Pirates debut.  There seems to be a real question about his ceiling, but he should move up to Bradenton at some point in 2020.