Otto Lopez Leads NL With 70 Hits, .332 Average
otto lopez is leading the National League in hits and average, and the Miami Marlins infielder is suddenly in position for his first All-Star appearance. He has 70 hits and a.332 batting average, the kind of start that puts him in the middle of the league race instead of the middle of Toronto’s infield logjam.
Toronto’s crowded infield
Lopez’s rise comes after the Blue Jays ran out of room for him. He came up with Toronto in 2021 and played eight games, but Bo Bichette was already established at shortstop, Matt Chapman and Santiago Espinal were coming off strong seasons in 2022, and Lopez was out of options by 2024.
That squeeze only tightened as Ernie Clement emerged and another path disappeared. Toronto designated Lopez for assignment in 2024, then traded him to the San Francisco Giants before he was later claimed off waivers by the Marlins.
Lopez with the Marlins
Since landing in Miami, Lopez has turned the move into production. He owns a 135 wRC+, and Elly De La Cruz is the only National League shortstop with a higher fWAR. Those numbers place Lopez among the most productive middle infielders in the league, not just a former depth piece who slipped through a crowded roster.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider framed the move as timing, not a judgment on Lopez’s ability. “It was just bad timing for us, I feel like, with him,” he said. “It was never really sure about the opportunity to play with the roster we had.”
Schneider also pointed to the traits Toronto saw before Lopez left. “He always played hard. I thought he had some sneaky power, which he’s showing this year, and he had really good bat-to-ball skills and he’s shored up some things defensively,” he said. “You don’t love seeing it when you get rid of a guy, but I’m happy for him because he’s an awesome dude.”
What Toronto sees now
The Blue Jays have since reshaped the same area of the roster. They acquired Andres Gimenez ahead of the 2025 season, he has taken over the position after Bo Bichette left in free agency, and he has posted 0.8 fWAR. Only Ernie Clement and Addison Barger remain in Toronto from the infielders who helped block Lopez, and Barger has since moved to the outfield while Clement is the everyday starter at second base.
Lopez’s line is now the part that keeps this story alive for Toronto. A player who played eight games for the Blue Jays is leading National League hitters in hits, sitting at.332, and giving the Marlins an infielder who looks nothing like a leftover from a roster crunch.
