Elite bat-to-ball skills are fueling a career year for this Marlins speedster

Elite bat-to-ball skills are fueling a career year for this Marlins speedster originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Otto Lopez was born in the Dominican Republic, but his family moved to Canada during his childhood. After playing only baseball on the streets, he played organized baseball soon after landing in Canada. 

With the potential to make baseball his future, he decided to travel back to the DR and train to sign an MLB contract, much like many others in his home country. 

And that is exactly what happened as Lopez signed as an international free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 4, 2016. He would move up and down the minors and have a few at-bats in the big leagues before he was ultimately designated for assignment in February of 2024. 

MORE: What happened to Kyle Stowers? Why Marlins placed All-Star outfielder on IL

Elite bat-to-ball skills are fueling a career year for this Marlins speedster 

Lopez was then traded to the San Francisco Giants ahead of the 2024 season, but didn’t last long. He was DFA’d in April and quickly picked up off waivers by the Miami Marlins. 

And that has been a move that has paid off greatly. He’s been electric for this team, holding the fifth-highest batting average in the league with his elite bat-to-ball skills, per MLB.com’s Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru. 

“Lopez already had bat-to-ball skills, good bones to build around. The little things have brought everything together in 2026. Mechanical adjustments got him a little more exit velocity. After hitting .259 with a .393 SLG against fastballs in 2025, he’s up to a .348 AVG and .529 SLG in 2026. Tying together his transformation into one of baseball’s premier contact hitters, he’s all over the running game, too, already working on a career-high 24 stolen bases.”

He has been a huge reason for the Marlins’ success this year, and a reason why they still sit in a solid position to fight for one of the NL wild card spots at the end of the year. 

More MLB news: