Jose Manuel Lopez

Jose Manuel Lopez

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 165 lb.

• Born November 27, 1984 in Los Mochis, Sinaloa MEX

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Jose Manuel Lopez has had a long career playing in Mexico, first as an outfielder and later as a pitcher. Having first played in the Mexican League in 2005, he was still active as of 2023.

He spent four seasons as an outfielder, starting in 2005 with the Tuneros de San Luis, and then playing for San Luis, the Potros de Tijuana and the Olmecas de Tabasco over the following three seasons. He was never a great hitter, his highest average being .236 as a rookie and as a result was only a back-up player, with a high of 134 at-bats for Tijuana in 2007. After hitting only .083 in 44 games for Tabasco in 2008, he washed out of the league.

This could have spelled the end of his pro career, but he found a second life as a pitcher, making it back to la Liga in 2011 as a reliever for the Piratas de Campeche. He has never started a game as a pro, either in the Mexican League or in winter ball in the Mexican Pacific League. He first appeared in the winter with his hometown team, the Caneros de Los Mochis, in 2012-13. While most of his pitching career has been as a middle reliever, he did serve as a closer for a couple of years, saving 11 games for the Mayos de Navojoa in 2013-14. That winter ball season was easily the best of his career, as he went 2-0 with an ERA of 1.19 in 27 games. That outstanding season led to his being loaned to the Naranjeros de Hermosillo in the 2014 Caribbean Series, and won the title with them even if he gave up a two-run homer in each of his two relief outings in the tournament. In 2014, he saved 6 games for Campeche, but that was his last year racking up a significant number as he then settled into a less prominent role.

In summer ball, he pitched for a variety of teams, never lasting more than a couple of seasons in one place and usually putting up relatively high ERAs. He has been better in winter ball. In 2016-17, he had an ERA of 1.67 in 38 games for the Aguilas de Mexicali and pitched with them in the 2017 Caribbean Series. In 2022-23, at age 37, he was still effective with Hermosillo, going 5-0, 1.37 in 26 games and allowing just 10 hits in 26 1/3 innings.