Reynaldo Lopez

29-Year-Old PitcherRP

Atlanta Braves

2023 Stats

W-L

3-7

ERA

3.27

WHIP

1.27

Rest-of-Season Projections

W-L

ERA

WHIP

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2023 Fantasy Outlook

After five-and-a-half years of struggling to make it as a starter, Lopez made the transition to full-time reliever in 2022 with 60 of his 61 appearances coming out of the pen. The right-hander demonstrated increased velocity on all four of his pitches, including an extra 1.3 mph on his fastball for a 97.1 mph average (93rd percentile), plus another 3.5 mph on his curve. He had great results too, posting six wins, nine holds and career-best ratios across 65.1 innings. Lopez's strikeout rate was consistent with 2021 and slightly above average at 24.8%, but he really made strides with his control and home run rate. His 4.3% walk rate and 0.14 HR/9 were also career-bests, with the latter tied for the best among qualified relievers after giving up just one home run last season. Lopez has the upside to close, but with Liam Hendriks and other veteran relievers to contend with in Chicago, don't count on an abundance of saves chances in 2023. Read Past Outlooks

RANKSFrom Preseason

#365

ADP

Overall

League Majors

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man Yes

Height 6'1"

Weight 220

DOB 1/4/1994

Born San Pedro de Macoris, DR

College None

Drafted 2012 WAS

Gets three years, $30M from Atlanta

PAtlanta Braves

November 20, 2023

Lopez signed a three-year, $26 million contract with Atlanta on Monday.

ANALYSIS
The deal contains an $8 million club option or $4 million buyout for the 2027 season, so Lopez will net $30 million over the life of the deal. Atlanta had already re-signed Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez and traded for Aaron Bummer and they've now brought in Lopez to reinforce their bullpen. Lopez made a full-time move to relief in 2022 and has produced a 3.02 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 146:45 K:BB over 131.1 innings covering the last two seasons. Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Lopez will be stretched out during spring training to give Atlanta a rotation option, with the possibility that he could contribute both as a starter and reliever. In all likelihood, Lopez will wind up in the bullpen and step in as one of the top setup options in front of closer Raisel Iglesias.

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Pitching Stats

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2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2023 MLB Game Log

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2022 MLB Game Log

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2021 MLB Game Log

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2020 MLB Game Log

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2019 MLB Game Log

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2018 MLB Game Log

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2017 MLB Game Log

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Minor League Game Log

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Pitching Appearances Breakdown

Average Pitch Count

Last 10 Games

Last 5 Games

How many pitches does Reynaldo Lopez generally throw?

1-10

11-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

101-110

111-120

121+

1-10

11-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

101-110

111-120

121+

1-10

11-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

101-110

111-120

121+

What part of the game does Reynaldo Lopez generally pitch?

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

Extra

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

Extra

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

Extra

% Games Reaching Innings Threshold

% Games By Number of Innings Pitched

Left/Right Pitching Splits

Since 2021

-1%

BAA vs RHP

2023

-21%

BAA vs LHP

2022

-15%

BAA vs RHP

2021

-12%

BAA vs RHP

	BAA	Batters	K	BB	H	2B	3B	HR
Since 2021vs Left	.212	331	82	36	61	14	3	8
Since 2021vs Right	.209	423	119	22	82	16	2	11
2023vs Left	.180	124	35	23	18	1	1	3
2023vs Right	.227	154	48	11	32	4	0	5
2022vs Left	.239	103	25	6	22	7	1	1
2022vs Right	.204	151	38	5	29	6	2	0
2021vs Left	.219	104	22	7	21	6	1	4
2021vs Right	.193	118	33	6	21	6	0	6
More Splits→	View More Split Stats

Home/Away Pitching Splits

Since 2021

-34%

ERA at Home

2023

-36%

ERA at Home

2022

-61%

ERA at Home

2021

-8%

ERA on Road

	ERA	WHIP	IP	W	L	SV	K/9	BB/9	HR/9
Since 2021Home	2.51	0.92	96.2	8	5	2	10.2	2.1	0.7
Since 2021Away	3.80	1.21	92.1	5	10	4	8.9	3.4	1.1
2023Home	2.53	1.13	32.0	2	2	2	12.4	3.9	0.6
2023Away	3.97	1.41	34.0	1	5	4	10.3	5.3	1.6
2022Home	1.57	0.82	34.1	3	1	0	9.4	0.8	0.0
2022Away	4.06	1.10	31.0	3	3	0	7.8	2.3	0.3
2021Home	3.56	0.82	30.1	3	2	0	8.9	1.8	1.8
2021Away	3.29	1.10	27.1	1	2	0	8.2	2.3	1.3
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Stat Review

How does Reynaldo Lopez compare to other relievers?

This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.

K/BB

2.44

K/9

11.3

BB/9

4.6

HR/9

1.1

Fastball

98.3 mph

ERA

3.27

WHIP

1.27

BABIP

.289

GB/FB

1.00

Left On Base

81.0%

Exit Velocity

82.3 mph

Barrels/BBE

4.5%

Spin Rate

2217 rpm

Balls Hit 95+ MPH

19.2%

Swinging Strike

14.6%

Advanced Pitching Stats

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Defensive Stats

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Stats Vs Today's Lineup

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Reynaldo Lopez See More

Collette Calls: The Next Batch of Valuable Middle Relievers

15 days ago

Jason Collette takes a look at middle relievers who could have fantasy value next season without earning saves, including Baltimore's DL Hall.

Mound Musings: Save Me!

97 days ago

Brad Johnson check in on ever-changing closing situations, and in New York, the Mets are hopeful Edwin Diaz could be back at the end of September.

Todd's Takes: Winning Isn't Everything

98 days ago

Todd Zola makes the case for innings pitched over wins or quality starts as a fantasy category and shares his thoughts from Tuesday's box scores.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Evaluating Lopez requires a look beyond his season-long stats, as his 20 appearances in the majors were split nearly exactly evenly between starting and relieving. As a starter, Lopez posted a strong 15.4 K-BB% though his 4.10 ERA was likely fortunate given that he surrendered 1.7 HR/9. However, Lopez really made his mark as a reliever. In 20.1 innings of work, Lopez predictably saw his K% spike to 30.1, and he surrendered a more respectable 1.3 HR/9. Despite the positives, it's also important to keep Lopez's relative success in perspective. For one, this small run of success comes in the face of a career that has been dominated by struggles to this point. Lopez's success also came in largely low-leverage roles as he failed to log either or a save or hold. His performance was likely enough to save his future in the majors, though his path to consistent fantasy value is less clear given the strength of the White Sox bullpen and Michael Kopech's likely move to a full-time role in the rotation.

Lopez's 2020 campaign was derailed by a combination of injury and poor performance that led to a brief demotion to the team's alternate site. He ended the season with a 6.49 ERA that was marred by a 12.4% walk rate and 3.1 HR/9. On a positive note, Lopez incorporated both his slider and changeup more heavily. After throwing his fastball at or near a 60% clip through the first four seasons of his career, Lopez's fastball usage dipped to just over 50% in 2020. As a result, he threw three different pitches at a 20 percent or higher clip for the first time in his career. New pitching coach Ethan Katz could help Lopez build on this tweak to improve his results in 2021. A positive trajectory will be necessary for Lopez to remain in the rotation, as Michael Kopech will return in 2021 and the team could look to add to their staff in free agency as well.

In 2018, Lucas Giolito posted the worst ERA among qualified starters. While Lopez's 5.38 ERA wasn't the worst of 2019, he was next in line, with only Rick Porcello's 5.52 mark being higher. If you squint, there's a glimmer of hope for Lopez. His 4.88 SIERA suggests the actual 5.38 ERA was unlucky. More importantly, Lopez's second-half skills improved, fueling a 4.29 second-half ERA (6.34 before the break). Specifically, Lopez's strikeout rate improved to 22.5% from 19.5%, his walk rate dropped to 7.3% from 8.5% and his HR/FB plummeted to 1.26 from an unsightly 2.11. Lopez's fastball velocity is 83rd percentile, but he lacks spin on both it and his curve. Their respective spin rates rank 22nd and 7th percentile. Lopez's breakout potential is far from "roster at all costs." However, if you have a deep reserve, consider stashing Lopez and monitoring spin rates and performance early in the season.

Lopez closed out the year with an outstanding run in September (1.09 ERA), bringing his ERA for the season under 4.00 after it got as high as 4.72 in mid-August. Was it mostly luck, or did Lopez actually figure something out down the stretch? He said last summer that he was focusing on the mental aspect of the game instead of just trying to blow by hitters, continuing lessons instilled by Max Scherzer about scouting hitters, locating and changing visual angles. An important aspect of Lopez's development has been the slider that White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper taught Lopez in 2017. It has since become Lopez's best pitch by Pitch Values. Lopez's strikeout rate soared to 27.6% over the final month, and while it may have been mostly fluky, part of it may have been his maturation as a pitcher and the more granular scouting of his opponents. Further refinement of the changeup is still needed, but there is plausible upside here.

Acquired from the Nationals last offseason in the Adam Eaton deal, Lopez is one of many power arms the club has stockpiled. After 22 starts for Triple-A Charlotte, registering a 3.79 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 131 whiffs in 121 innings, Lopez got the call to the majors, making his Pale Hose debut on Aug. 11. Lopez started eight contests, working at least six stanzas in all but one, an impressive feat in today's five-and-fly climate. A 65 percent left-on-base rate didn't do his ERA any favors, though a weak 15 percent strikeout rate didn't help either. Lopez displayed an above-average strikeout clip everywhere else, including a short stint with the Nationals in 2015, so expect the righty and his 95-mph fastball to pick up the pace as he further acclimates to major-league hitters. Lopez has the stuff to be a difference-maker down the line. For now, there will still be growing pains, working half the time in one the American League's friendlier hitting venues.

After dominating Double-A to begin the season, Lopez spent the second half bouncing between Triple-A and the majors, posting solid ratios at Syracuse despite a decline in his strikeout rate but mostly struggling for Washington. He flashed his upside in August, though, posting a 1.29 ERA and 13:4 K:BB in 14 innings over back-to-back starts against the Braves. The 22-year-old right-hander's big weapon is a fastball that averaged 95.8 mph in the majors, but he also mixes in a plus curveball and work-in-progress changeup. There are concerns about his ability to hold up as a starter given his slight frame, but his arsenal should allow him to thrive in a late-inning role if he is eventually moved to the bullpen. Traded to the White Sox in the Adam Eaton deal, Chicago will give Lopez every chance to stick as a starter, and a strong spring could put him in the rotation to begin 2017.

A year after a breakout performance that landed him near the top of the Nationals' prospect list, Lopez is still more future projection that he is finished product. His 4.09 ERA and 8.5 K/9 in 99 innings at High-A Potomac weren't exactly dominant, but his 2.5 BB/9 and 0.5 HR/9 indicate an ability to keep the ball in the lower half of the strike zone that will serve him well as he advances through the system. The 22-year-old right-hander fires a heavy high-90s fastball from an easy, repeatable delivery, and his curveball and changeup both have the makings of above-average pitches. Six-foot pitchers with big velocity tend to get typecast as relievers, and that could well be Lopez's eventual fate, but his athleticism and secondary offerings are strong enough to give the Nats every reason to keep him in the rotation as he works his way up the ladder.

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012 as an 18-year-old, Lopez raced up prospect lists after a breakout season in which he struck out 70 batters in 83.1 innings between the New York-Penn and South Atlantic leagues. The right-hander features a heavy mid-90s fastball that he can crank up to near triple digits when he feels the need, plus a work-in-progress breaking ball and changeup, and if everything comes together, he'll give the Nationals yet another future ace to slot in alongside Stephen Strasburg and Lucas Giolito. Lopez is a long way from being in their company, though, and even the Yordano Ventura comps getting bandied around are very premature. The kid has massive upside, and that fastball is as close to a guarantee of a big league job as you'll find, but you may want to wait and see if he can dominate over a full season before anointing him as the next big thing.

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