Yoan Lopez has been a rare bright spot in D-backs bullpen

No one knew what to expect from Yoan Lopez this season.

Despite a strong 10-game debut at the end of last season, in which he posted a 3.00 ERA, Lopez was someone the D-backs had in their back pocket and decided to give a play. Those 10 games only consisted of nine total innings.

Lopez is essentially a rookie this season. He has not pitched like one.

A nice surprise could be an understatement. Lopez signed with the D-backs in 2015 after playing three seasons in the Cuban league. He came over and initially struggled, posting a 4.72 ERA in his first two seasons in the minors, splitting time in Rookie ball and Double-A. Control was a huge issue; Lopez posted a 1.58 and 1.25 strikeouts per walk ratio in 2015 and 2016, respectively. A high home run rate (1.4 per nine) plagued him as well in 2016. He even left the organization after the season and planned to retire.

Double-A was a tough environment for Lopez, so the D-backs moved him down to High-A in 2017 after he decided to return to the club. His walk numbers plummeted and strikeouts numbers soared; Lopez was striking out 16.8 batters per nine innings, a high rate despite pitching only 31.2 innings.

Lopez hasn’t looked back since. Double-A saw his ERA rise, but they rose with his innings. Lopez had a 2.92 ERA with 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings when he was called up last September.

A rocky start didn’t deter him either. Lopez gave up two home runs and a triple to his first three MLB batters. His debut lasted just eight pitches. He gave up three earned runs.

Lopez didn’t give up another the rest of the season and kept that streak going until his ninth outing of the 2019 season.

His 1.16 ERA so far this season speaks for itself. If Lopez gives up a run, you’re watching a rarity occur.

Lopez walks a fine line though. He relies a hefty amount on his defense. He’s striking out batters at a 19.7% clip, mostly thanks to his devastating slider, which has added an inch of horizontal movement since the month of June began, per Brooks Baseball. But 70% of the time, Lopez is allowing batters to put the ball in play. He’s a contact pitcher.

He allows line drives 27% of the time when the ball is put in play, and those balls are hammered. Baseball Savant has Lopez’s hard-hit percentage in the fifth percentile of major-leaguers; his exit velocity is in the first, and despite his slider’s nastiness, Lopez’s strikeout percentage is in the 27th percentile.

These statistics suggest that the D-backs defense, which is the third-best in baseball based on defensive runs saved, and luck, can be partially responsible for Lopez’s breakout.

For now, the D-backs will take it. Lopez and Greg Holland have been the only two ultra-reliable relievers in a bullpen where fan favorite Archie Bradley has completely fallen apart, Yoshihisa Hirano has failed to recover from his rough last month of the season and Zack Godley has been moved to help a bullpen that is average at best.