DRB Prospect Review: #27 Jacob Lopez
Despite plenty of opportunities, Jacob Lopez didn’t make many appearances in the Majors this season
Over the offseason, the Draybay community takes part in an exercise in which we compile a list of 30 prospects in the Rays system based on popular vote.
Now that the 2024 season has concluded, we can look back at these rankings and see how each individual player performed.
We have already covered
We resume the reviews at #27.
27. Jacob Lopez
Jacob Lopez was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 26th round of the 2018 draft. After barely a year in their system, the Rays acquired him for OF Joe McCarthy. Since then, Lopez has steadily climbed the ladder in the Rays system, posting some of the best results of any starting pitcher in the organization. He finally made his big league debut in 2024, appearing in four games and showing his ability to get big league outs.
Before the Season
26 | 6’ 4” | 220
AA | 2.57 ERA, 28.0 IP (8 G, 6 GS) 45 K, 9 BB
AAA | 2.72 ERA, 79.1 IP (18 GS) 26.0% K, 14.0% BB
MLB | 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP (4 G, 1 GS) 8 K, 2 BB
Lopez missed 2022 for Tommy John surgery, but rode the shuttle to the big leagues when he returned in 2023. Like most system southpaws, he’s a deception lefty with low velo stuff, and his profile is a 2-seam/slider combo that plays in the lower third. He has a change, but lacks a third pitch vs lefties. It’s unlikely the Rays see a starter in his stuff, but his utility as an up-and-down bulk guy will keep him on your television screen this season. As for whether he could be something more, Lopez gets great extension and (thanks to a horizontal arm angle) spins with quality armside run, so who knows what the Rays pitching lab could cook up for him.
How it Went
The 26-year old Lopez spent the majority of the season on the front end of the Durham Bulls starting rotation. However, whenever the Rays needed a fresh arm, someone else received the call. Not deterred, Lopez delivered a quality season in Triple-A and made four appearances for Tampa Bay.
Final 2024 Statline
AAA: 4.26 ERA | 4.63 FIP | 27.9 K% | 11.8 BB% | .215 AVG | 13.4 WHIFF% | 88 2⁄3 IP
MLB: 5.23 ERA | 6.75 FIP | 17.4 K% | 15.2 BB% | .135 AVG | 9.0 WHIFF% | 10 1⁄3 IP