Over the last few weeks of May, recent St. Lucie call-up Nick Morabito and opening day roster player Nick Lorusso have come to the forefront of the Brooklyn Cyclones’ offense. With catcher Drake Osborn, first baseman Ryan Clifford and pitcher-outfielder Nolan McLean being promoted to Double-A Binghamton, the Cyclones’ two Nicks have stepped up to replace Brooklyn’s former power corps.
In addition to his hitting, Morabito also possesses speed and has replaced outfielder Omar De Los Santos since his call-up to Binghamton as the team’s leading base stealer. The Washington, D.C., Gonzaga College H.S. graduate is an outfielder in his third year in the organization and was the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. According to Cyclones manager Gilbert Gomez, “His speed is a game changer. He challenges all the catchers. Once he’s on base, he’s always a threat to steal.”
Regarding his hitting, Gomez said, “He’s a high energy guy who makes good contact and hits the other way or can pull the ball. He gives the team a different dimension by consistently putting the ball into play. Nick hits the ball hard to all fields and is getting more comfortable at the plate. He takes his best hack every single time and his power is developing.”
That power and development was on display during the Cyclones’ recent road trip to Lakewood, when Morabito went 4-for-4 to open the series. In a career-high game, he also started a late-inning rally with a two-run homer in a game that ultimately ended in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Claws. Currently, Morabito leads the team with 16 stolen bases. Also, he is the Cyclones’ top hitter with a .298 batting average, but does not qualify for the South Atlantic League’s consideration since he has too few “at bats” since his May 7 call-up.
The Cyclones’ second Nick (Lorusso) was recently named the South Atlantic League’s Player of the Week. As the Mets’ ninth-round pick out of Maryland in the 2023 MLB Draft, Lorusso has anchored the team playing either at first or third base from the beginning of the season. Like his former Cyclones teammate Nolan McLean, Lorusso was also a two-way player in college, but gave up pitching to concentrate on hitting in his senior year. That concentration has manifested itself this season in stats that lead the Cyclones in all hitting departments with a .260 batting average, 26 runs scored, seven home runs and 27 RBIs. While putting up these numbers, Lorusso also brought an 11-game hitting streak to an end that was started in Coney Island and concluded in the middle of the recent Lakewood road trip.
Returning home, the Cyclones split (3-3) the week’s home series with the Aberdeen Iron Birds that included the team’s first full nine-inning combined no-hitter for a 3-0 win to open the series. This week the Cyclones are on the road at Hudson Valley as they stand with a 30-27 record for fourth place in the Sally League’s North Division.