Position: OF
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 09/03/2001
Country: Dominican Republic
How Acquired: International Free Agent, 2018
Bonus: $235,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2025
Options Left: 3
Overview
Nolasco was a six-figure signing for the Pirates on the first day of the 2018-19 signing period. He’s a corner outfielder who had the best exit velocity of any of their hitters in the DSL in his first season. His game is geared to power and he takes a lot of pitches, looking for one to drive. The result is a lot of walks and strikeouts. Nolasco runs reasonably well for his size and has a good arm.
2019-21
Nolasco had a strong debut, hitting for average and power, and making good contact. He got off to just a solid start, but finished very strongly, posting a 1.005 OPS in August and finishing the season with a 12-for-22 run. After the pandemic season, the Pirates sent Nolasco to the FCL rather than to Bradenton. The reason may have been an injury in spring training. He made a strong showing, with very good power, along with very high walk and K rates. He played mostly in right, although he served as DH more often than he played in the outfield.
2022-23
Nolasco went to Bradenton in 2022 and struggled through April and May, with an OPS of .526 and .623, respectively. In June he started to hit, posting an OPS of .814, then in July he hit 341/455/796. Unfortunately, he got hurt in the third week of the month and was able to play only five more games. Nine of Nolasco’s 11 home runs came in 34 games in June and July. Despite the bad two months, Nolasco’s slugging average was 64 points above league average. The K rate of 34% was borderline alarming.
In 2023, the Pirates disappointingly sent Nolasco back to Bradenton. He had almost exactly the same season, with the same K rate, a higher walk rate and a little more power. He led the league in home runs with 20, and finished second in RBIs and fourth in walks. Nolasco seemed to be headed for a better season, but in July he started persistently chasing breaking balls out of the zone and hit just 150/303/325.
Stats
Transactions
July 2, 2018: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent.