Conversations with the Herd: Miami Marlins infielder Otto López

By: Brian Frank

Otto López is in his second full season as a big leaguer. López made his major-league debut with Blue Jays in 2021. He spent most of the next two seasons in Buffalo, but showed his big-league potential in a short stint with the Blue Jays in 2022, going 6-for-9 (.667) in eight games. During spring training in 2024, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants organization for cash considerations. He was claimed off waivers by the Marlins in April 2024, stepped into Miami's lineup last April – and hasn’t looked back.

“Very well,” López said of how he’s adjusted to being with the Marlins. “They treated me like a new family member. I’ve been enjoying every little moment that I have here with this team. I feel very comfortable.”

López has an .876 OPS since June 20.

Last season, López slashed .270/.313/.377 in 117 games, while displaying his defensive versatility – playing 99 games at second base, five at third base, 25 at shortstop, and two in the outfield. This year, he’s played 47 games at shortstop and 31 at second base, while slashing .250/.320/.392 heading into the All-Star break. He’s been swinging a hot bat recently. In 21 games dating back to June 20th, he’s hitting .301 with five home runs and an .876 OPS.

“I’ve been working on a lot of things,” he said of his recent hot streak. “I trust the coaches here. That’s a big key that has been helping me so far. Just trusting them and see what they see to just get better. It’s (led to) a lot of successful moment and I feel proud of all the work that I’ve done so far.”

One noticeable improvement in López’s game this season is his power production. He’s already hit a career-high 11 home runs. His previous high, including his time in the minors, came last season, when he hit six. His newfound power has made him a fixture in the middle of the Marlins’ lineup, where he can most often be found batting third.

“The power that I feel right now is because my lower half,” he explained. “I’ve been working a lot on staying on the ground and swinging from my legs more. I’ve been making good contact and finding a good pitch to hit. That’s been the key so far.”

López belts his 11th home run of the season.

López recently announced that he intends to play for Canada in next spring’s World Baseball Classic. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he grew up in Quebec, moving to Montreal when he was just 10 years old. He played for Canada in the 2023 WBC and went 5-for-17 (.294) with a home run, triple, and six RBIs.

“I had the chance in 2023 and it was a good experience,” López said. “Next year for the WBC, it’s going to be an exciting moment… I feel so excited.”

This season’s young Miami team has surprised many baseball observers. The Marlins are currently sitting in third place in the National League East, two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. They recently had an eight-game winning streak, including three-game sweeps of the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, and have the third best record in baseball since June 13, winning 19 of 29 games for a .655 winning percentage over that span.

“We believe in ourselves,” López said. “A lot of the young guys that we have here are talented. We trust what we’re doing on the field. We go out and give one hundred percent and it’s been working so far… we just play clean baseball.”

López is confident the Marlins can keep it rolling and have a strong second half.

“This season started very rough and right now we’re trying to just keep the routine that we have and keep the same momentum that we have had lately – and just play baseball,” López said. “This team is young and has talent. We are very hungry to just keep going and keep doing what we’ve been doing lately.”