Pittsburgh Pirates: The All-Under-20 Prospect Team

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PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 20: A New Era pillbox Pittsburgh Pirates baseball hat is seen in the dugout during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on July 20, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Second Base: Dariel Lopez

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Dariel Lopez at the July 2nd, 2018 international signing date. He’s far from the last name we’ll hear from this so keep that date in mind. Regardless, Lopez put together a strong first pro season and is having a solid 2021 campaign.

Lopez hit .341/.404/.485 with a .427 wOBA, and 145 wRC+. While Lopez didn’t show big home run power, he did run out 10 doubles in 188 plate appearances. His 7.4% walk rate wasn’t fantastic, but his 16% strikeout rate is. He did hit ground balls at a 55.1% rate which is a bit higher than you’d like to see.

So far this year, he’s batted .258/.348/.394, resulting in a solid .352 wOBA, and 105 wRC+. While Lopez is walking more often (10.7%), his strikeout rate has risen above 25% (25.1% to be exact). It also doesn’t help that his GB% has risen all the way to 58.3%. Though to end his season wrap-up on a positive note, he does have a 21.1% line drive rate, a 4.2% increase from his debut season.

Lopez is one of the many young middle infielders in the system. While Lopez isn’t a Nick Gonzales or Liover Peguero in terms of potential, any bit of depth helps.

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