Pirates Pitcher Potentially Featuring in World Baseball Classic
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting ready for Spring Training, which starts in the next couple of weeks, but some players have other dreams on their mind.
The World Baseball Classic takes place this spring from March 5-17, with the best countries facing off against each other for a chance at international glory.
Star pitcher Paul Skenes is the only Pirates player committed to the World Baseball Classic, where he'll feature for Team USA.
Another Pirates pitcher could also play in the international tournament, which could serve as a great start to the season for him.
Pirates Pitcher That Could Play at World Baseball Classic
Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas spoke with the media at PiratesFest on Jan. 24 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Nicolas fielded a question about pitching in the World Baseball Classic and didn't confirm anything, but did say it was a possibility.
"Yeah, I don't know yet, but I don't know if it's on the table or not," Nicolas said. "There might be a chance."
Nicolas confirmed that Team Italy is the team he would play for, relying on his mother's ancestry to get a chance to play.
He isn't from Italy himself, so he has to rely on either his mother or someone older with Italian citizenship, that would make him eligible for the team.
Nicolas did note that the main reason he isn't sure about his participation in the World Baseball Classic is because he needs approval from the MLB.
"Team Italy it would be for, but still have not been approved by MLB for heritage-wise. So we'll see where it goes."
Looking Back at Kyle Nicolas' 2025 Season
Nicolas didn't make the opening day roster and pitched in four games with Triple-A Indianapolis before his first call-up, allowing six earned runs in 4.2 innings for an 11.57 ERA.
He came up to the Pirates on April 10, who recalled him from Indianapolis and placed him in the bullpen.
Nicolas made seven appearances for the Pirates, allowing nine earned runs over 7.2 innings pitched for an ERA of 10.57, eight walks to six strikeouts and a .294 opposing batting average.
The Pirates sent Nicolas back down to Indianapolis on May 4, as they activated fellow right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana off the bereavement list.
Nicolas made nine appearances with Indianapolis and performed much better, with just one earned run allowed over 9.2 innings pitched, a 0.98 ERA.
The Pirates recalled Nicolas on June 3, taking the spot back from Tanner Rainey, who the Pirates designated for assignment.
Nicolas made three appearances in that stint with the Pirates, allowing three hits, a walk and an earned run in 4.1 innings pitched for a 2.08 ERA, two strikeouts and an opposing batting average of.188.
The Pirates sent Nicolas back down to Triple-A on June 11 and he made 17 appearances, posting a 3.38 ERA over 21.1 innings pitched, 25 strikeouts to 10 walks and a .232 batting average, before coming back to the team.
Nicolas joined back with the Pirates on Aug. 1, after recent moves after the trade deadline. He posted a 3.38 ERA over 16.0 innings pitched 11 appearances with a win, plus a .193 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.00.
He missed the following two series with the Pirates after going on the bereavement list on Aug. 29, but returned on Sept. 5 and spent the final three weeks of the regular season with the team.
Nicolas had two losses and a 3.60 ERA over 10 innings pitched in 10 appearances, with a .256 BAA and a 1.40 WHIP.
He finished his season with 31 appearances out of the bullpen for the Pirates over four stints at the major league level.
Stat | Total |
|---|---|
ERA | 4.68 |
Innings Pitched | 38.0 |
Record/Appearances | 1-2/(31) |
Strikeouts/Walks | 96/53 |
BAA | .233 |
WHIP | 1.37 |
Nicolas will look to get off to a good start this season and if he gets a chance with Team Italy, that might help him achieve that earlier on.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.