| Jorge López | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) López with the Mets in 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Free agent | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1993-02-10)February 10, 1993 (age 32) Cayey, Puerto Rico | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| September 29, 2015, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 30–43 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 5.31 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 485 | ||||||||||||||
| Saves | 32 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Jorge Yabiel López Ramos (born February 10, 1993) is a Puerto Rican professionalbaseballpitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theMilwaukee Brewers,Kansas City Royals,Baltimore Orioles,Minnesota Twins,Miami Marlins,New York Mets,Chicago Cubs, andWashington Nationals. He made his MLB debut in 2015 and was anAll-Star in 2022.
TheMilwaukee Brewers selected López in the second round of the2011 Major League Baseball draft out of the Caguas Military Academy inCaguas, Puerto Rico.[1] He signed with the Brewers and made his professional debut with theArizona League Brewers. He spent 2012 with theDominican Summer League Brewers and Gulf Coast Brewers and 2013 with theWisconsin Timber Rattlers. In 2014, López pitched for theBrevard County Manatees. In July he was selected to appear in theAll-Star Futures Game.[2][3] In 2015, he played for theBiloxi Shuckers of theDouble–ASouthern League.[4] He had a 12–5win–loss record, a 2.26earned run average (ERA), and 137strikeouts in143+1⁄3innings pitched for Biloxi. López was named the Brewers' minor league pitcher of the year and Southern League's most outstanding pitcher.[5]
After Biloxi's 2015 season ended, the Brewers promoted López to the major leagues.[4] He made his major league debut on September 29, 2015.[6] In 2016, López began the season with theColorado Springs Sky Sox of theTriple–APacific Coast League, but struggled, pitching to a 6.81 ERA in 17games started. He was demoted to Biloxi.[7] López pitched for thePuerto Rican national baseball team in the2017 World Baseball Classic. In the 2017 season, López returned to Biloxi. He pitched to a 4.61 ERA as astarting pitcher, and then became arelief pitcher, and had a 3.62 ERA in that role. He made one appearance for the Brewers in 2017, pitching two innings and allowing onerun on fourhits on June 29.[8]
During the 2017–18 offseason, López pitched for theÁguilas Cibaeñas of theDominican Professional Baseball League.[8] López began the 2018 season with Colorado Springs. The Brewers again promoted him to the major leagues on April 11.[9] He made one appearance, on April 16, before being returned to Colorado Springs on April 17.[10]
On July 27, 2018, López, along with teammateBrett Phillips, was traded to theKansas City Royals forMike Moustakas.[11] On September 8, in his seventh major league start, López flirted with a perfect game as he retired 24 consecutiveMinnesota Twins batters in order over eight innings.[12] In the ninth inning, López surrendered a leadoff walk toMax Kepler and a hit toRobbie Grossman before walking off the mound atTarget Field to a standing ovation. He became the first pitcher in Royals history to bring a perfect game into the ninth inning, bestingBret Saberhagen's seven-inning attempt vs. theSeattle Mariners. He wasdesignated for assignment on August 7, 2020.
On August 9, 2020, theBaltimore Orioles claimed López off of waivers.[13] López ended the 2020 season with a 6.69 ERA and 28 strikeouts to partner with a 2–2 record over 10 appearances.[14] On August 21, 2021, after going 3–14 with a 6.35 ERA in 25 starts, Lopez was moved to the bullpen.[15]
In 2022, the Orioles shifted López into thecloser role.[16] After pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 17 saves in 40 games during the first half of the season,[17] López represented the Orioles at the2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[18]
On August 2, 2022, the Orioles traded López to theMinnesota Twins in exchange for minor league pitching prospectsCade Povich,Yennier Canó,Juan Núñez, and Juan Rojas.[19]
On January 13, 2023, López agreed to a one-year, $3.525 million contract with the Twins, avoiding salary arbitration.[20]
On July 26, 2023, López was traded to theMiami Marlins in exchange forDylan Floro.[21] In 12 appearances for the Marlins, he struggled immensely to a 9.26 ERA with 8 strikeouts in11+2⁄3 innings pitched. On September 2, he was optioned to the Triple–AJacksonville Jumbo Shrimp afterJohnny Cueto was activated from the injured list.[22]
On September 2, 2023, López was claimed off waivers by theBaltimore Orioles.[23][24] In 12 appearances for Baltimore, he posted a 5.25 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. On September 30, López wasdesignated for assignment by the Orioles.[25] He cleared waivers and elected free agency on October 5, 2023.[26]
On December 14, 2023, López signed a one-year, $2 million contract with theNew York Mets.[27] On May 29, 2024, López was ejected in the eighth inning of a 10–3 loss to theLos Angeles Dodgers by the third baseumpire. While walking off the field, he threw his glove into the stands and untucked his shirt. In a postgame interview, López seemingly called the Mets "the worst team in all of fucking MLB."[28] However, López clarified he said "the worst teammate in the entire league."[29] He wasdesignated for assignment by the Mets the next day.[30] On June 5, López was released by the team.[31] In 28 games for the Mets, he compiled a 3.76 ERA with 19 strikeouts across26+1⁄3 innings pitched.[32]
On June 11, 2024, López signed a minor league contract with theChicago Cubs.[33] He made three scoreless appearances for the Triple–AIowa Cubs, striking out one batter in2+2⁄3 innings. On June 28, the Cubs selected López's contract, adding him to their major league roster.[34] On November 1, López elected to become a free agent.[35]
On January 11, 2025, López signed a one-year, $3 million contract with theWashington Nationals.[36] On April 16, López was ejected from a game against thePittsburgh Pirates after throwing an up-and-in pitch atAndrew McCutchen that nearly hit the batter's head. He was subsequently suspended for three games.[37]
During an appearance against theSeattle Mariners on May 29, López yelled at home plate umpireAndy Fletcher during an at-bat, after Fletcher called a ball on a close pitch. ManagerDave Martinez went out to the mound to calm López down, but López struggled through the rest of the inning, giving up the lead before the Nationals came back to win the game. Two days later, the Nationals designated López for assignment. In a news conference regarding the decision, Martinez explained that Washington wasn't "the right fit" for López and he wanted to focus on developing younger pitchers.[38] López was released by the Nationals after clearing waivers on June 3.[39]
López and his wife, Karla, have a son, Mikael. Their son has suffered fromfamilial Mediterranean fever since birth,[8] and is waiting[as of?] for anintestinal transplant.[40][41] They had to leave their town ofCayey due toHurricane Maria in 2017.[8]
· Baseball Almanac
