Players / Player profile
KC · 3B

Nick Loftin

Age 28 B/T R/R 5′11″, 180 lb USA MLB debut 2023
40-man
  • Kansas City’s roster as it stands utility · 428 PA (3B 244, 2B 184) · 0.8 WAR in the role
  • Trade read Available at a price: KC 39% playoff odds; control through 2030.
xwOBA .296 wOBA .322
2026 fWAR 1.3
Projected 2027 WAR 0.7 at 432 PA · 0.8 in his 2027 role

Hitting · 2026 percentiles

vs. MLB hitters with 300+ PA · 428 PA

xwOBA .296 xwOBA: .296, 19th percentile
Swing decisions −0.05 Swing decisions: −0.05, 45th percentile
Contact value −1.36 Contact value: −1.36, 8th percentile
Bat speed 68.7 Bat speed: 68.7, 12th percentile
Squared-up / swing 29% Squared-up / swing: 29%, 91st percentile
Blasts / swing 5% Blasts / swing: 5%, 14th percentile
EV90 100.7 EV90: 100.7, 10th percentile
Barrel % 4.3% Barrel %: 4.3%, 20th percentile
Chase % 25.4% Chase %: 25.4%, 77th percentile
Zone contact 90.8% Zone contact: 90.8%, 91st percentile
Strikeout % 17.1% Strikeout %: 17.1%, 76th percentile
Walk % 9.6% Walk %: 9.6%, 62nd percentile

Platoon splits · swing path

By pitcher handedness

vsPAwOBAxwOBAK%BB%ChaseDecisionsContact
LHP169.332.31717%10%26%−0.34−0.16
RHP259.316.28217%9%25%+0.14−2.10
Attack angle
8.8° (53% in 5–20°)
Attack direction
−6.7°
Swing length
7.2 ft
Fast-swing rate
5%
Pull-air %
19.3%
Hard-hit %
29.7%
Slash · wRC+
.240/.322/.388 · 98

Zone map · 2026

Where he does damage, and where to pitch him

−1.7+0.1+0.1+3.10.0+0.3+0.3+2.1−1.3+1.2−2.3+2.4+0.1−1.1+0.5+1.5−0.5−2.9−1.9+1.4−0.3+1.8−0.2−0.9+0.6RHB

Does the most damage middle-in (+2.4 vs. league per 100; 1.1 standard errors on 75 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).

Weakest down over the middle (−2.9), but only 1.3 standard errors from average on 77 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.

Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average RHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 1,486 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).

Most similar hitters

Swings like Loftin: bat path, contact quality and approach

SimilarityPlayerxwOBA’26 WAR’27 proj2027
73Spencer Horwitz PIT · ’97.3100.10.9Arb
72Nolan Schanuel LAA · ’02.3351.71.4Arb
65Myles Straw TOR · ’94.2970.71.0Club option $8.0M
64Nick Sogard BOS · ’97.3151.20.9Pre-arb
62Austin Hedges CLE · ’92.2901.00.5Free agent

Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.

Fielding

2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.

2027 rating by position · best fit first, on the total with the position’s worth
3B +6.4 +8.9
2B −0.5 +2.0
LF +5.6 −4.9
1B +10.1prior −5.4
Outs Above Average by position
SeasonPosOAARangeArm, DPRunsBatters
20261B000.00.025
2026SS000.00.038
2026LF−1−10.0−1.0111
2026RF−1−1+0.1−0.9223
20262B−7−5+0.3−4.7973
20263B+6+5+0.9+5.92,561
20251B+10−0.4−0.465
20253B+2+2−0.3+1.7361
20252B+10−0.3−0.3375
2025LF−1−1−0.8−1.8887
20241B−1−1−0.6−1.699
20243B+2+2+0.2+2.2482
20242B+2+1+0.3+1.3834
20233B+1+1+0.1+1.1126
20231B00−0.3−0.3177
20232B−1−1+0.2−0.8238

Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.

Range by direction (OAA at 3B)
2025 · 3B2026 · 3B In (charging) +20Back −1+1Toward 3B line 0−5Toward 1B line +1+1vs. RHH +2−3vs. LHH 00

At 3B in 2026, the biggest loss came toward 3B line (−5 outs): a coaching target.

Tools (percentile; arm among 3Bs)
Arm at 3B 85.4 mph · 77th
Sprint speed 28.0 ft/s · 67th
Reaction −0.8 ft · 23rd
Burst −1.7 ft · 9th
Route −0.3 ft · 28th
Catch difficulty (latest season)
PlayMadeChancesRate
★★★★★020%
★★★★00—
★★★020%
★★010%
★00—
Zone rating (Keystone expected outs)
SeasonZoneBallsOuts vs. exp.
20263B186+7.0
20262B102−6.6
2025LF87+0.2
20243B44+2.1
20242B90+4.5

The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.

Compare in the Fielding Lab →

Contract & projection

Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR

2027 0.7 WAR Pre-arb $780K*
2028 0.5 WAR Arbitration $2.3M*
2029 0.3 WAR Arbitration $2.9M*
2030 −0.1 WAR Arbitration $3.2M*

* projected arbitration or minimum salary. Contract Studio →

Minor leagues

MLB Stats API · public box-score data

SeasonLevelLevelTeamAgeGPA / IPPA / IP ·Line
2026AAAAAAOmaha Storm Chasers27939 PA 39 PA · .303/.385/.455 · 0 HR · 7.7% K · 5.1% BB
2025AAAAAAOmaha Storm Chasers2643197 PA 197 PA · .303/.447/.461 · 4 HR · 12.2% K · 19.8% BB

ABS challenges · 2026

Baseball Savant

As batter 48% 10/21 won · +0.8 runs
Keystone is an independent portfolio project. It is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or any club. Data: MLB Stats API, Baseball Savant, FanGraphs. Used under their terms for individual, non-commercial use.