Miami Marlins 2020 Likely Opening Day Rotation

Like Alcantara and Smith, control specialist Pablo Lopez joined the Marlins in a 2017 trade and started a handful of games in 2018. A right-handed thrower and left-handed batter, Lopez is a native of Cabimas, Venezuela.

Lopez joined the team at the 2017 trade deadline under the previous ownership group. GM Michael Hill managed to gain Brayan Hernandez, Lukas Schiraldi, Brandon Miller, and Lopez for David Phelps.

Schiraldi and Miller have since been released by the Marlins, and Phelps has gone on to play for the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays. Hernandez spent 2019 with the Single-A Clinton LumberKings in the Midwest League.

Lopez has proved to be, if not a strikeout pitcher, an accomplished precision specialist. He walked only 18 in 58 2/3 innings in 2018, going 2-4 with a 4.14 ERA and 46 whiffs. He closed shop with a 1.261 WHIP.

In 2019, Lopez led the Marlins by issuing only 2.2 walks per nine innings, going 5-8 with a 5.09 ERA. In only three of his 21 starts did he issue more than two walks, and never more than four. On May 18th, Lopez shut out the Mets for seven innings on one hit and a pair of walks, striking out seven in a 1-0 Marlins victory.

Lopez is still pretty young, and will have just turned 24 at the start of the 2020 season. With a full and healthy season, he could yet discover another gear. Look for him to improve on his WAR figures of 0.4 and 0.5, respectively.