Our series on the best breakout stories from the 2026 MLB season continues with Marlins infielder Otto Lopez.
Otto Lopez was once a well-thought-of prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system years ago. Now, Lopez is an All-Star, and in 2026, he was the hit king in Major League Baseball. The Canadian led all hitters in total hits (191), part of a season in which he slashed .305/.349/.437 with 34 stolen bases and 52 extra-base hits.
Adjustments at the plate
Generally speaking, you’re going to find small adjustments on a year-to-year basis, whether it be stance, foot positioning, etc for a lot of MLB players. Otto Lopez was one such player.
Take a look from 2025, when Lopez was more upright at the plate:
And in 2026, when Lopez became more crouched, controlled, & athletic:
Lopez isn’t the only player to switch to this kind of setup. Spencer Torkelson, when he rebounded in 2025, made a similar adjustment to his stance.
Not a subtle change. But it was one that led to great results. Did it lead to enhanced bat speed? No, as his mean bat speed stayed just below 70 MPH on average. However, Lopez did make much better quality contact this season, particularly against fastballs.
Better work against the fastball
That was, arguably, the most notable thing that stuck in Lopez’s numbers. Sure, the total number of hits did, too. But when breaking down the Barrel% by pitch type, the four-seam fastball became a pitch that he dealt with considerably well, more so than any other type of pitch he saw in 2026.
In 2026, his Barrel% off four-seamers was 12.8%, significantly higher than the roughly 8-9% from 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Breaking down things a bit more specifically, Lopez had a much better time handling the fastball up in the zone. Here’s a breakdown from the 2025 season, where he handled things just fine when one was placed right over the middle of the plate. But upstairs, it was more of a different story.
Now, a look at Lopez’s 2026 numbers. Not so much action down in the zone, as expected. But up in the zone? A night-and-day difference. Lopez had significantly more success getting around the fastball up in the zone, and also did damage on the up-and-away pitch.
Keeping the swing-and-miss down
Another thing that shouldn’t shock anyone is that, if you’re going to lead the Majors in hits, the swing-and-miss rate should probably be kept to a minimum. Or at least, as low as possible. After all, four of the top six in Major League Baseball this season (Lopez, Luis Arraez, Yandy Diaz, Chandler Simpson) all excelled with respect to contact rates.
Even though Lopez made the adjustment against the fastball, that didn’t mean the off-speed and breaking stuff was getting by him, either. While Lopez didn’t square up those pitches to the extent he did with fastballs, his Whiff% was well under 20% off all fastballs, and under 30% against most off-speed/breaking stuff.
He’s never been an over-swinger, so these numbers should not be a shock.
Looking ahead
Yet again, the Marlins competed in 2026, and Lopez was a prime reason why.
Heading into 2027, a young Miami team should still have Lopez and Xavier Edwards in the middle infield. That duo has stabilized things, both at the plate and in the field. Lopez is rangy at short, while Edwards is much more comfortable at second since moving there on a full-time basis.
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