Deiner Lopez

[jscola85]

I think it's probably a bit early to consider him a "prospect", but Deiner Lopez has caught my eye down in the DSL

Age: 17
Born: May 30, 1994
Position: SS
Height: 6-0
Weight: 165
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
How Acquired: International FA, August 2010

In a recent interview (link below) with Eddie Romero Jr, Deiner Lopez was singled out along with Cleuluis Rondon and Aneudis Peralta (talk about some great names down in the DSL!) as guys to watch out for as the season progresses:

Lopez is [a] shortstop who we’re moving around the field. He is also a switch-hitter with a lot of potential.

Link to Romero Interview

Through 168 PAs, Lopez is sporting a triple slash of .270/.425/.369 (.794 OPS), with 10 steals in 13 ABs. He has shown a little pop in his bat with 10 XBHs, but his 27/30 BB/K ratio sticks out to me - any middle infielder with some upside who shows that kind of plate discipline is worth watching in my opinion.

 

[jscola85]

Through 212 PAs:

.263 / .424 / .371 (.796 OPS)

He also hit his first career home run last night. Lopez has primarily been playing 2B and LF, as it seems Cleuluis Rondon (another guy that Romero highlighted to watch) is getting as many games at SS as he can handle.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

DSL games always feature a boatload of walks. That doesn't mean a certain guy doesn't have real plate discipline but it's hard to say with any certainty at this point.

 

[jscola85]

DSL games always feature a boatload of walks. That doesn't mean a certain guy doesn't have real plate discipline but it's hard to say with any certainty at this point.

Agreed. I just have my eye on Lopez because (i) there aren't too many young guys hitting or pitching well for the DSL team; (ii) Romero Jr said he's a guy the Sox are watching; and (iii) he's a switch hitter with a good frame who can play multiple places on the field.

Maybe he's just the next Keury de la Cruz, but a near .800 OPS for a kid who is 17 even in the DSL is somewhat intriguing to me.

 

[jscola85]

Through 252 PAs - .255/.402/.349 with 16 SBs out of 22 attempts. Has now played games at 2B, SS and LF. Struggled for a little while but he's 4 for his last 12. Would love to see some power but the kid is 16 and apparently rail thin, so not surprising the power isn't there yet - not every prospect can hit for power like the X Man!

 

[jscola85]

Looks like Lopez tweaked something at the end of the year, as he missed the last week of the DSL schedule. End of season stats:

.250 /.393/.341 with 14 XBHs (1 HR), 17 steals in 23 tries and a 40/48 BB/K ratio in 260 PAs. Lopez made appearances at 2B, 3B, SS and LF, with 2B the most common position.

All in all, an intriguing start for the 17 year old Lopez. Hopefully he gets a shot in the GCL next summer.

 

[jscola85]

Through 44 PAs in the GCL, Lopez is hitting .244/.295/.293. 3/10 BB/K ratio, and 2/2 on stolen base attempts. After starting just 1/21 with 7 Ks, Lopez is 9 for his last 20, riding a 6-game hitting streak in which he has K'ed just 3 times.

Hopefully it's a sign he was just settling in. With fellow quasi-prospect Cleuluis Rondon playing SS, Lopez has played almost exclusively 2B.

 

[jscola85]

Lopez is now up to 94 PAs, hitting .264/.326/.333, good for a .660 OPS. 7/19 BB/K ratio and 3/4 on SB attempts. Throwing out his 1/21 start, he's hitting .333/.391/.424. And in July, he hit .328/.381/.414.

I don't think Lopez has true MLB contributor ability, but it's looking like he could be decent organizational depth in the middle of the infield. He's also still only 18 years old, so plenty left to grow and develop.

 

[jscola85]

I think Lopez is battling some sort of injury, as he missed all the games from August 6 through the 17th, and since then has played spotty amounts.

Through 123 PAs, he's at .265/.341/.327. .744 OPS over his last 10 games. Still nothing amazing but the GCL lacks much in the way of interesting hitters, so I'll keep tracking him.

 

[jscola85]

Forgot to update on Lopez - he is repeating in the GCL again, but showing some improvements at the plate.  Through 85 PAs he's at .289/.362/.432.  Not much else to report but any middle infielder who can show some decent pop at the plate is worth following IMO.

 

[jscola85]

Looks like Lopez got the promotion to Lowell after Cleuluis Rondon was traded.  Went 2-4 with a double in his debut.

 

[jscola85]

Lopez wrapped up his season yesterday in Lowell, finishing the year with a combined line of:
 
211 PAs, .245/.321/.324 (.645 OPS) with 11 XBHs, 13 SBs in 19 tries, a 20% K%, 7% BB%
 
My guess is, at only 19, he will spend another year in Lowell after some time in extended spring training, but perhaps a promotion to Greenville will come if he makes good progress this offseason.

 

[jscola85]

Lopez is repeating his year in Lowell and has shown some nice progress.  160 PAs, .271/.340/.364 line with 14 steals in 17 attempts.  He's also hit two homers, the first two he has had in the US.  He's played mostly 2B and 3B this year.  He's a year older than fellow former DSL'er Raymel Flores, but I see a bit more upside with Lopez progressing in the system because of his contact skills.  He's only striking out 20% of the time vs. Flores at 30%.

 

[jscola85]

Lopez continues to quietly matriculate up the Red Sox system, having earned a promotion from Greenville to Salem on the heels of a .282/.321/.395 triple slash.  However, both his BB% and K% have shown some serious deterioration as he's moved up the system.  Even for a glove-first prospect like Lopez, it's a troubling sign.  At 21 years old he's far from old in Salem, so perhaps a bit of time this offseason to keep honing his skills will help to revert the trend in 2015.