GRAND JUNCTION, CO. — Elation erupted in corners of the internet that care about such things when the Colorado Rockies selected Mike Nikorak with their second pick in the 2015 draft. It was widely held that the Rockies grabbed a potential Top 10 player with a pick in the 30s and Nikorak’s name even found its way onto a few Top 100 lists for prospects across all of baseball.
Furthermore, the Rockies have experienced a great deal of early pro success with their high-round picks over the last few years including David Dahl, Eddie Butler, Jon Gray, Ryan McMahon, Forrest Wall and so on. Unfortunately for Nikorak, he did not follow in the footsteps of those guys, instead struggling mightily through 17.2 IP and an ugly 11.72 ERA. At times, he looked completely lost, throwing pitches that would bounce 10 feet away from the catcher, and regularly getting pulled out of games because he just couldn’t find it.
What a difference a year makes.
He is only two starts into his follow-up campaign but Mike Nikorak feels like a whole new pitcher.
“I feel great,” he told BSN Denver after his first Win as a professional. “To be able to come out, especially at home, and deal like that, I was 100 percent confident on the mound — and [Steven] Leonard, I don’t think I shook him once. Huge team effort tonight.”
In nine innings over two games so far in 2016, Nikorak has allowed one earned run while striking out eight and walking five. He is known for his heavy sinking fastball that can touch in the high 90s but credited his other pitches for his early success this season.
“I felt like all my stuff was working,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to throw your fastball for a strike when your curveball and your change-up are working.”
No matter how bad the numbers may have looked, he has already pitched in half the number of innings this year he did all of last year. So either way, we are looking at small sample sizes. And he knows that there is still a long way to go. Still only 19 years old, out of Stroudsburg High School in Pennsylvania, his journey is just beginning. But at least at this stage he recognizes how important it is to keep his confidence about him.
The larger point is that Nikorak is positively determined to let the struggles of 2015 be teaching moments. “I’m a competitor,” he says. “Obviously last year it stunk to go through that the entire year. But that’s baseball. It’s a non-stop grind and some things go your way and some things don’t go your way. And I’ve got a feeling that this season is going to go my way.”
