RADIO
Pablo Lopez 2024 Outlook: Promising Hurler Reaches Ace Status
11 months agoMany hoped Pablo Lopez would become an ace with Miami, but it was a trade to Minnesota that helped the now 28-year-old reach his full potential. He went 11-8 with a 3.66 ERA and 3.28 xFIP over 194 IP in his first season as a Twin, posting an impressive 29.2 K% and 6 BB% along the way. There are two reasons for Lopez's success. First, his fastball got better with a velocity spike (94.9 mph vs. 93.5 in 2022) and spin rate increase (2,262 RPM vs. 2,196 in 2022). The resulting 15.8 SwStr% and 60.9 Zone% made Lopez's fastball one of the best in the game. Second, he introduced a slider to his repertoire with a 15.6 SwStr% and 46.1 Zone%. Lopez rounds out his arsenal with a change (14.7 SwStr%, 46.7 Zone%, 36.8% chase rate) and curve (16.8 SwStr%, 38.1 Zone%, 35.8% chase), giving him four quality pitches to attack with. The AL Central remains MLB's weakest division, so Lopez should have favorable matchups to look forward to in 2024 as well. Lopez is expensive at an ADP of 45.45, but he's worth the investment.
