For the first time since 2023, the Miami Marlins will have two representatives in the MLB All-Star Game.
Major League Baseball announced that Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez and starting pitcher Max Meyer have been added to the National League All-Star roster for the first time in their respective careers. The 96th MLB All-Star Game takes place in Philadelphia, Pa.
Lopez enters Saturday’s game against the Athletics leading the big leagues with 117 hits and a .337 batting average through 87 games this season. Lopez told reporters upon the announcement that the honor “means a lot” and that it was a product of “all that I’ve been working on.”
“The moment that they told me that I would be an All-Star, my chest was gonna explode,” Lopez said. “Since I played baseball, since I had a memory of playing baseball, that’s something that I need to have as a dream.”
The 27-year-old is also tied for second in the NL in doubles (23), tied for third in triples (five), and tied for ninth in stolen bases (17). His .869 OPS this season is a stark jump from his previous season (.672 OPS), where he also finished with 15 home runs and 77 RBI.
With the help of the Marlins coaching staff, Lopez went into spring training with the belief that becoming an All-Star this season was attainable. Lopez recalled telling his coaches that he “would do anything to become an All-Star.”
“They tell me you just need a little bit more of what you did last year,” Lopez said, “and with ease you’ll definitely be an All-Star.”
Lopez also has the most multi-hit games in the big leagues with 37, which is the most by a Marlin through the first half of the season. Miguel Cabrera previously set the club record of 36 back in 2006. Lopez is also the first Marlins shortstop since Hanley Ramirez (2008-10) to be named on the All-Star roster.
There’s a bit of poetic irony for Lopez to receive the All-Star announcement in Sacramento, which is also the home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. Lopez was a member of the RiverCats when he was designated for assignment by the Giants in 2024 and claimed off waivers by the Marlins, where his career took off.
Lopez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but raised in Canada. His professional career started when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an International free agent on July 4, 2017. His MLB debut on August 17, 2021, was his only game with the Blue Jays that year. He later played eight more games in the Show in 2022.
