MIAMI, FL – It’s a new month, and that means Lemon City Live has a new Marlins MVP for the month of June. After consideration, the nod for Marlins MVP goes to Otto Lopez.
Road to the Show
Otto Lopez commenced his big-league journey on July 4, 2016, when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent. He played in 51 games for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays in 2017. That season, he posted a .275 batting average, one home run, and 15 runs batted in. Lopez got promoted to play with the Rookie Advanced Bluefield Blue Jays and the Low-A Vancouver Canadians. He played in 58 games total for both clubs, hitting .308 with three home runs, 28 RBI, and 14 stolen bases.
2019 was the year when Otto Lopez made significant strides. His first full season in the minors, Lopez played in 108 games for the A Lansing Lugnuts and hit .324 with 145 hits, five long balls, 50 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. He was the Midwest League batting champion. During both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 offseasons, Lopez played for the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM).
Los Leones del Escogido pican delante en el estadio Tetelo Vargas ante las Estrellas la noche de este miércoles al colocar el marcador 6-0 a su favor en la parte alta de la segunda entrada con jonrón de Otto López con dos en base.#CDNDeportes #LIDOM pic.twitter.com/Rk6GU81jFS
— CDNDeportesRD (@CDNDeportesRD) November 23, 2023
In November 2020, the Blue Jays added Lopez to the 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. He would go on to spend time between the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats and AAA Buffalo Bisons. Otto Lopez hit a combined .315, with five homers, 64 RBI, and 41 swiped bags. By then, he had the Blue Jays’ attention and made his MLB debut on August 17, 2021, against the Nationals. He struck out in his only at-bat. Later that offseason, he returned to the LIDOM, this time with the Gigantes del Cibao.
Otto Lopez. CLUTCH.#Bisons | #WeAreBlueJays pic.twitter.com/cCPY8KqYxJ
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) September 9, 2021
Back-and-forth between leagues
Otto Lopez spent most of the 2022 season with the Bisons and a short rehab stint with the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays. Appearing in 96 games, his numbers took a dip, slashing .283/.365/.394 with three homers, 36 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. Lopez would get called up to the majors again, having himself an eight-game cup of coffee. This time, he showed more production, hitting .667 (6-for-9) with three RBI. Most notably, his first hit came on October 1st against the Red Sox, which was his 24th birthday.
The FIRST Big League RBI for Otto Lopez 👏 pic.twitter.com/KNbX7B5YVJ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 5, 2022
His 2023 got off to a great start as he played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Lopez made an impact, slashing .294/.333/.588 with four runs and a home run. He led the team in RBI with six. Despite this stretch, he was optioned to AAA Buffalo to start the season. He hit .251/.307/.330 with 2 home runs, 31 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in just 80 games. On August 1st, he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left oblique strain. He never saw the field again that year.
OTTO LOPEZ 💪💪💪#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/uXZaoJDQYs
— Baseball Canada 🇨🇦⚾️ (@baseballcanada) March 14, 2023
On February 13, 2024, Otto Lopez would be traded to the Giants for cash considerations. He was optioned to the AAA Sacramento River Cats before the season began, but his stay wouldn’t last long. Appearing in just two games, the San Francisco Giants would go on to designate him for assignment on April 1st.
Promising in first full season
The Miami Marlins claimed Otto Lopez off waivers on April 4th, 2024. Perhaps the change of scenery to the Sunshine State was needed for Lopez. In 10 games for the AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, he hit .436/.488/.718 with six runs scored, a pair of long balls, and six runs plated in. He would end up getting the permanent call-up to the major leagues that he was looking for. In his first big league season as an everyday second baseman, Lopez hit .270, scored 49 runs, blasted six home runs, drove in 39 runs, and swiped 20 bases in 117 games.
Otto Lopez for the lead!#MarlinsBeisbol pic.twitter.com/BZmDXLoqlR
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 27, 2024
Marlins hidden gem
Coming into June of 2025, Lopez was hitting just .231 with 19 runs scored, four home runs, 18 RBI, and five stolen bases. Once June was underway, the fruits of his labor started to pay off.
From June 6th to the 10th, Otto Lopez had himself a solid five-game hitting streak. His highlight of that stretch was his two-run home run on June 6th against the Rays, cutting their deficit to one. He also had an RBI single later in the series on June 8th and hit a solo home run on June 9th against the Pirates. The Marlins would go on to lose these games, but Lopez still showed his consistency.
On his daughter’s birthday too 😊 pic.twitter.com/HoBheH1tl3
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 6, 2025
Against the Nationals from June 13th to 15th, Lopez didn’t contribute an RBI, but he had at least one hit each game, including two multi-hit games. The Marlins left Washington, D.C. with a sweep.
Then, from June 19th through the 29th, Otto Lopez held a 10-game hitting streak. In that period, the 26-year-old held a slash line of .415/.478/.610 with 10 runs scored, a pair of homers, and 15 runs batted in. The Fish went 8-2 in that run, with a pair of sweeps against the Giants and D-Backs.
His highlight of the stretch was on June 27th against the Diamondbacks, where he totaled seven bases, including a home run, and three RBI. He also had other great moments, such as a three-hit game on June 25th against San Francisco, where he had three runs batted in. Otto Lopez also had three two-hit games in the Braves and Giants series.
OTTO LOPEZ ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? pic.twitter.com/vy8T96cCq7
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 28, 2025
Honorable mention
For the second straight month, Agustin Ramirez gets the honorable mention nod for MVP. Ramirez joined the team a month into the season and has been receiving recognition across the league. He currently has the fourth-best odds of winning the National League Rookie of the Year award.
Agustín Ramírez UNLOADS on his team-leading 11th homer of the season 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/poKYxHr2pg
— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2025
Ramirez finished the month hitting .255 with 47 total bases, four doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 16 RBI.
About Post Author
More Stories
Brandon Woodruff Sets the Tone as Brewers Beat Marlins
Agustin Ramirez Delivers Clutch Hit in Marlins Win Over Brewers
Marlins Can’t Complete Comeback in Loss to Brewers