Tim Lopes

Lopes played 41 games in his rookie season and performed largely as his minor-league numbers portended. A career .290 hitter at the Triple-A level, Lopes slashed his way to a .270 average last season, improving as he became accustomed to the big leagues and punctuating his campaign by hitting .302 in September. Never a power hitter, Lopes focused on hitting the ball the other way, posting the 12th-highest opposite-field rate (34.9%) among players with 100 or more plate appearances. The 25-year-old also excelled at reaching base via walk, notching an 11.7 BB% that was the highest of his professional career. Lopes' intelligence at the plate and quickness on the basepaths (28.6 ft/s sprint speed) portray a player capable of maintaining a serviceable average and stealing 20-plus bases, though his lack of power in a league increasingly obsessed with the long ball may limit him to a utility role in the majors.