Roberto Lopez (minors03)

Roberto Alejandro Lopez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
• School University of Southern California
• High School Rancho Bernardo High School

• Born October 1, 1985 in San Diego, CA USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Roberto Lopez has played as high as AAA (his sixth season at that level being in 2017) and won a minor league MVP award.

Amateur Career

Lopez hit .468 with 10 homers as a high school senior. As a college freshman, he hit .264/.336/.368. In the Cape Cod League that summer, he batted .237/.276/.280 for the Cotuit Kettleers. As a sophomore, he was only 12 for 44 with two walks and no extra-base hits in a bench role for USC. His junior year, the San Diego native hit .313/.422/.361 in a part-time situation. Back as a senior in 2008, Lopez improved to .340/.402/.483. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim took him in the 25th round of the 2008 amateur draft, one pick after Josh Spence. The scout was Tim Corcoran.

Minor League Career

Lopez burst onto the pro scene. He hit .400/.480/.667 with 28 doubles, 14 home runs, 68 runs and 72 RBI in 67 games for the Orem Owlz, while drawing 34 walks and only striking out 23 times. He led the Pioneer League in almost every category: average (25 points over Tyler Kuhn), OBP (56 points ahead of Kuhn), slugging (37 points ahead of Luis Jimenez), runs (5 more than John Delaney), hits (108, 8 ahead of Kuhn), doubles (tied for the lead with Jimenez), total bases (180, one ahead of Jimenez), times hit by pitch (11, tied with Donato Giovanatto and Tony Brown) and RBI (7 ahead of Brock Kjeldgaard and Jimenez). He also tied for second in home runs (with Kjeldgaard and Angel Castillo, one behind Jimenez) and was 9th in walks. He was named the league's All-Star DH and MVP. Presumably due to his age, he was not listed among the top 20 prospects in the circuit by Baseball America.

While still productive in 2009, Lopez fell from his 2008 dominance. He hit .271/.365/.415 with 11 home runs for the Cedar Rapids Kernels while bouncing between first base, catcher and the corner outfield spots. He tied Castillo for third in the Midwest League with 17 times plunked while his 8 sacrifice flies tied Johermyn Chavez for third. He was second on his team in home runs, one behind Castillo. In 2010, the 24-year-old played for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (.346/.408/.544 in 46 G) and Arkansas Travelers (.239/.324/.370 in 85 G), with a combined 32 doubles, 12 home runs, 83 RBI and 19 times hit by pitch. He was second in the Angels chain in doubles (behind Jimenez), third in RBI (behind Mark Trumbo and Gabe Jacobo) and led in both hit by pitch and sacrifice flies (13). He still had no set position, with games at catcher (35), first base (21), right field (20) and left field (18).

In 2011, Roberto was a utility man for Arkansas (.275/.353/.480, 30 2B in 92 G) and the Salt Lake Bees (5 for 30, 2B, 3 BB). He was tied for 7th in the Angels minor league system in two-baggers. As a 1B and corner outfielder for the 2012 Travelers, he hit .258/.321/.422 with 36 doubles, 16 home runs and 80 RBI. He tied Nolan Arenado for second in the Texas League in doubles (one behind Oscar Taveras), was 9th in home runs and 5th in RBI (between Mike Olt and Jon Singleton). Among Angels minor leaguers, he was second in doubles, tied for fifth in home runs and was 5th in RBI (between Paul McAnulty and Efren Navarro). In 2013, he spent all season with the Bees, producing at a .289/.342/.438 clip with 26 doubles and 68 RBI. He also pitched a scoreless inning. He tied Wade Hinkle for 9th in the Angels chain in RBI. He played winter ball for the Caneros de los Mochis and batted .240/.313/.320.

Lopez backed up at all four corner spots (infield and outfield) for Salt Lake in 2014, hitting .293/.340/.438. He was 5 for 18 with a double, homer and walk for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 2015, he finally ended his run in the Angels chain, playing for the Piratas de Campeche in Mexico. His batting line that year was .295/.371/.446. He played for the Mexican-American-reliant Mexican national team in the 2015 Premier 12. Starting at first base and also playing some outfield, he hit .280/.286/.440 entering the final round, his big game coming in a 6-5 near-upset of Samurai Japan when he homered off Kenta Maeda and doubled off Yuki Nishi. In the Bronze Medal game, also against Japan, he was 0 for 3 in a 11-1 loss. For the 2015-2016 Mexicali Eagles, he hit .206/.308/.206 in 13 games.

Moving to the Toros de Tijuana, he batted .269/.331/.474 as a 1B/OF in 2016. In 2017, he hit .292/.362/.448 as a corner outfielder for Tijuana. He really shone in the finals, hitting .455 with six RBI as the Toros won their first title. He was named finals MVP but said it was a team effort.

Notable Achievements

• 2008 MVP Pioneer League Orem Owlz

Sources

• 2012 Angels Media Guide
• USC bio
• Baseball Cube
• Cape Cod League