Brett Nicholas
| Brett Nicholas | |
|---|---|
| Texas Rangers | |
| First baseman/Catcher | |
| Born: July 18, 1988 Phoenix, Arizona | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right |
Brett James Nicholas (born July 18, 1988) is a professional baseball first baseman and catcher currently with the Triple-A Round Rock Express in the Texas Rangers minor league system.
He was born in Phoenix, Arizona and attended Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. In 2008, he attended Gonzaga University, in 2009 he went to Scottsdale Community College and in 2010, he attended University of Missouri. He slashed .378/.483/.617 with nine home runs and 49 RBI for Scottsdale Community College in 2009 and in 2010, he hit .351/.434/.592 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft, one pick after pitcher Logan Darnell, and began his professional career that year.
He played for the AZL Rangers and Spokane Indians in 2010 and Spokane and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in 2012. In 2013, he batted .285/.351/.413 with eight home runs, 63 RBI and 33 doubles in 122 games for Myrtle Beach, earning a selection to play in the Arizona Fall League. In 2013, he was a Texas League Mid- and Post-Season All-Star, a MiLB.com Organization All-Star, an AFL Rising Star and the Rising Stars MVP after hitting .289/.357/.474 with 21 home runs and 91 RBI for the Frisco RoughRiders during the regular season and .230/.266/.393 in 17 games for the Surprise Saguaros during the AFL campaign. He hit two home runs during the Fall Stars Game.[1][2]
He reached Triple-A for the first time in 2014, hitting .274/.322/.389 with 10 home runs and 58 RBI in 127 games for the Express. Back with Round Rock in 2015, Nicholas batted .268/.314/.412 with 12 home runs and 63 RBI.
He has earned stints in major league spring training each year since 2012.
He was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on April 9, 2016, after catcher Robinson Chirinos was placed on the disabled list.[3]