Former Rays Farmhand Was One of Baseball's Best Rookies This Season With Athletics
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The Tampa Bay Rays made a significant trade with the Athletics last offseason centered around pitcher Jeffery Springs. After successfully transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation in prior years, the Rays decided it was time to cash in and trade him.
He was traded to the Athletics, along with the unheralded Jacob Lopez, in exchange for Will Simpson, Jacob Watters and Joe Boyle. It is a deal both franchises are likely happy with, given the production each received at the Major League level from the players included.
Alas, it may not be Springs that the Athletics are most happy with. That designation could certainly belong to Lopez, who started the season in the minor leagues but finished the campaign as a key part of the team’s Big League rotation.
Jacob Lopez broke out for Athletics in 2025
That is why he was named one of the best rookie performers in 2025 by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report. He put together a list of the top 50 first-timers in MLB this past year, and Lopez came in at No. 21.
With Triple-A Las Vegas in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, he garnered attention in his six appearances. He registered a stellar 2.33 ERA across 27 innings with 38 strikeouts. That success was carried right over into the Major Leagues.
Despite role changes, pitching in both the rotation and bullpen while moving between Triple-A and the Big Leagues, Lopez found success. He would take over a spot in the Athletics’ rotation in early June and stay there for the remainder of the campaign.
In 92.2 Major League innings, he had a 4.08 ERA with 113 strikeouts. He would have likely landed even higher on Rueter’s list had he not gotten knocked around by the Seattle Mariners in his last start of the year.
Jacob Lopez excelled in all roles and stops in 2025
Their American League West rivals teed off on Lopez, as he surrendered six hits and six walks in 2.0 innings, resulting in nine earned runs being scored against him.
Entering that game, he had a 3.28 ERA and 3.84 WHIP. He’d finish the season with a 4.08 ERA and 4.26 FIP, certainly solid numbers despite the low note he finished on.
What makes the performance all the more impressive for Lopez is that he is succeeding without elite stuff. His fastball averages only 90.8 mph, which is in the eighth percentile in the MLB. That hasn’t stopped him from having one of the more impressive Baseball Savant pages for a rookie pitcher.
His walk rate of 9.3% and ground ball rate of 28.6% are the only metrics not near or above league average, along with his fastball velocity. The talented lefty looks to have a bright future ahead, relying on his breaking balls to anchor his arsenal.
Tampa Bay could have certainly used that kind of production at the back end of their rotation in 2025 and beyond. Alas, even without Lopez, the future is still bright for the Rays on the mound.
Shane McClanahan is expected to be healthy for spring training in 2026. Shane Baz, Ryan Pepiot and Drew Rasmussen all made 31 starts in 2025. Ian Seymour made his MLB debut this past summer and Ty Johnson is lighting it up in Double-A. Don’t forget Boyle, who was named a minor league All-Star this year as well.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.