Austin Nola Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 0" / 197 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 12/28/1989 (34)
- Experience
- 5
- College
- Louisiana State
Austin Nola Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Austin Nola News
Free-agent catcher Austin Nola has signed with the Kansas City Royals on a minor-league deal, according to a source. Nola initially signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on a minors deal this offseason, but he was released after Gary Sanchez's deal with the Brewers became official this week. The older brother of Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola, Austin was sent to the minors last year with the San Diego Padres after slashing just .146/.260/.192 with a home run and eight RBI in 52 games played in 2023. In Kansas City this spring, the veteran backstop will likely compete with Freddy Fermin for the backup job behind All-Star Salvador Perez. After Nola's offensive collapse last year, he's well off the fantasy radar and isn't guaranteed a roster spot on Opening Day in KC.
The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent catcher Austin Nola to a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league spring training on Friday. The 34-year-old backstop became a free agent when the San Diego Padres non-tendered him in November. Nola became the Friars' starting catcher in 2022 by hitting .251 (87-for-347) with four home runs and 40 RBI in 110 games, but he fell flat this past season and was sent to the minors after hitting a putrid .146 (19-for-130) with a homer and 31 strikeouts in 52 games played at the big-league level. He's going to need to show better results offensively in 2024 and will likely open the season at Triple-A Nashville, where he'll serve as minor-league catching depth behind William Contreras and Eric Haase at the major-league level.
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola has been diagnosed with a vision-related issue, according to beat writer Jeff Sanders. Nola, due to his struggles this season, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso back in mid-July. He hasn't played with the Chihuahuas since August 2, however, as he's undergone multiple neurological tests that eventually diagnosed his vision issue, which has been impacting his brain's ability to coordinate his eyes, per Sanders. It's unclear what the next steps will be for the veteran backstop but we likely won't see him in the majors again this season while he recovers from his vision impairment. The 33-year-old really struggled in the early going for the Friars, posting a .143/.260/.190 triple-slash line to go along with one home run and eight RBI over 126 at-bats (51 games). Hopefully, he gets right and can bounce back next season for the Padres.
Batting Order
1 | Maikel Garcia |
2 | Bobby Witt Jr. |
3 | Vinnie Pasquantino |
4 | Nelson Velázquez |
5 | MJ Melendez |
6 | Hunter Renfroe |
7 | Adam Frazier |
8 | Freddy Fermin |
9 | Kyle Isbel |
Austin Nola Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
1 | Maikel Garcia |
2 | Bobby Witt Jr. |
3 | Vinnie Pasquantino |
4 | Nelson Velázquez |
5 | MJ Melendez |
6 | Hunter Renfroe |
7 | Adam Frazier |
8 | Freddy Fermin |
9 | Kyle Isbel |
While in the Marlins minor league system, Nola had a high of six home runs with a .116 ISO. Then he signed with the Mariners before the start of the 2019 season and everything changed. He began catching, changed his swing, and refined his approach at the plate. That produced 10 home runs in 267 plate appearances with a .185 ISO and .269 batting average. He was then traded to the Padres the following season and he clubbed seven home runs in 184 plate appearances with a .199 ISO and .273 batting average. The walk rate increased while the strikeout rate decreased. Entering the 2021 season, Nola is being selected as the ninth catcher off the board and 184th overall player. Steamer has him projected for 10 home runs with a .252/.328/.397 slash in 396 plate appearances. Here's the thing, though, you can find similar stats much later in the draft. Yadier Molina has an ADP of 249 and is the 15th catcher off the board. He's projected for 10 home runs and a .257/.305/.394 slash in 389 plate appearances. Ryan Jeffers has an ADP of 368 and is the 28th catcher being selected and he's projected for 11 home runs with a .259/.321/.443 slash in 290 plate appearances. Nola also suffered a fractured finger this spring and his return date is TBD.