Felipe Lopez is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues for over a decade. He was born on May 12, 1980, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Lopez was a standout athlete in high school, excelling in both baseball and basketball. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 1998 MLB draft, but he did not sign with the team and instead attended high school in Florida.
Lopez was drafted again in 1999, this time by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round. He made his Major League debut with the Reds in 2001, playing in 43 games as a utility infielder. Over the next few years, Lopez established himself as a solid player, hitting for average and showing good defensive skills. He played primarily at shortstop, but also saw time at second base and third base.
In 2005, Lopez had a breakout season, hitting .291 with 23 home runs and 85 RBI. He was named to the National League All-Star team and finished 11th in the MVP voting. The following year, Lopez struggled at the plate, hitting just .245 with 9 home runs and 50 RBI. He was traded to the Washington Nationals in July of that year.
Lopez played for the Nationals for two and a half seasons, putting up solid numbers but never quite matching his 2005 performance. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in July 2008, and finished the season with a .283 batting average and 6 home runs.
Lopez signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009, and had a strong season, hitting .310 with 9 home runs and 57 RBI. He also set a career high with 44 doubles. However, he struggled in 2010, hitting just .231 with 7 home runs and 39 RBI. He was released by the Diamondbacks in August of that year.
Lopez signed with the Milwaukee Brewers for the remainder of the 2010 season, and played well, hitting .320 with 4 home runs and 22 RBI in 43 games. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2011 season, but was released in May after hitting just .190 in 14 games.
Lopez finished his Major League career with a .264 batting average, 90 home runs, and 531 RBI. He played primarily at shortstop, but also saw time at second base and third base. After his playing career ended, Lopez worked as a baseball analyst for ESPN and MLB Network.
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