![\"Miami](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MIA_MarlinsvsCardinalsAGS171.JPG\" "\\"Miami")
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Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) keeps his eye on the ball as it flies passed him during the fifth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, April 20, 2026, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Fla.<\/p>\n
Alie Skowronski<\/p>\n
askowronski@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Otto Lopez hasn\u2019t just been one of the Miami Marlins\u2019 most consistent hitters throughout the first month of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
He has arguably been one of the top shortstops across all of MLB at the plate in the early going of the season.<\/p>\n
Lopez once again came up big for Miami on Monday, with his RBI double down the left-field line in the sixth inning giving the Marlins the lead for good in their 5-3 series-opening win over the St. Louis Cardinals at loanDepot park.<\/p>\n
Miami improves to 11-12 on the season, while St. Louis falls to 13-9.<\/p>\n
On the season, Lopez is hitting .337 with 10 of his 28 hits going for extra bases \u2014 five doubles, two triples and three home runs \u2014 while also stealing four bases.<\/p>\n
His batting average leads all qualified shortstops in MLB, while his .939 on-base-plus-slugging mark and .554 slugging are second \u2014 both trailing only the Washington Nationals\u2019 CJ Abrams. His 18 runs scored are tied with the Cincinnati Reds\u2019 Elly De La Cruz and Los Angeles Angels\u2019 Zach Neto for second at his position, behind only the Chicago Cubs\u2019 Dansby Swanson.<\/p>\n
Lopez, who has at least one hit in 19 of 22 games played this season and eight multi-hit games, also entered Monday leading all shortstops<\/a> with 1.2 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing the impact,\u201d Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. \u201cHe\u2019s on a good run. There\u2019s less empty at-bats. There\u2019s less early-count chase. There\u2019s been less early-count soft contact. He just looks very hitter-ish right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Lopez said pregame that he has been working with the Marlins\u2019 hitting coaches to improve his approach at the plate. He\u2019s prioritizing squaring up balls more consistently and using his legs move to drive more power into his swing.<\/p>\n It\u2019s working out so far.<\/p>\n While still early, Lopez entered Monday with a 56.1% hard hit rate, defined as how often a batter puts balls in play with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph. His single-season career high prior to this season was 38.9%. His overall average exit velocity is 93 mph, well above his 88.6 mph career average.<\/p>\n And Lopez isn\u2019t sacrificing quality at-bats for more power. Lopez\u2019s 17% strikeout rate entering Monday was about on par with his career average of 15.4% and his 5.7% walk rate is only slightly lower than his 6.7% career average.<\/p>\n Lopez always believed that he could be a productive every day big-leaguer.<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t until the Marlins claimed him off waivers early in the 2024 season that he finally got the opportunity to prove it.<\/p>\n He hit .270 with 30 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases over 117 games that season and followed with a 2025 season in which he hit .246 with 15 home runs, 15 stolen bases and a team-leading 77 RBI in 143 games while moving defensively from second base to shortstop.<\/p>\n And now his production is hitting another level in his third full season.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Marlins give me the chance to prove the work that I\u2019ve been doing [would work],\u201d Lopez said. \u201cI let myself go and play and have fun. The work has been showing. I feel very proud of myself, the work that I\u2019ve been putting in.\u201d<\/p>\n And he came up clutch once again on Monday with his RBI double that scored Kyle Stowers from first base in the sixth inning. Lopez scored two batters later on a Liam Hicks single to push Miami\u2019s lead to 4-2. Lopez also drew a walk in the eighth and scored on another Liam Hicks RBI single to cap Miami\u2019s scoring.<\/p>\n Xavier Edwards hit an RBI double and Agustin Ramirez homered earlier in the game to account for Miami\u2019s first two runs.<\/p>\n It backed up arguably the best outing of starting pitcher Max Meyer\u2019s season to this point. Meyer held the Cardinals to two runs on three hits, two walks, two hit batters and a wild pitch over a season-high 5 1\/3 innings while striking out eight.<\/p>\n Four relievers \u2014 Calvin Faucher, Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender and Pete Fairbanks \u2014 pitched the final 3 2\/3 innings, with Fairbanks earning his fourth save of the season.<\/p>\n