Jacob Lopez Bio
Jacob Lopez (born March 11, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Lopez came up through the minor league systems of the San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays before reaching the major leagues in 2023. He made his MLB debut that year with the Tampa Bay Rays and later joined the Athletics as part of a December 2024 trade.
Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, Lopez has worked his way up through the minor leagues over several seasons, overcoming injury and a canceled 2020 campaign to establish himself as a major league starting pitcher. His professional journey has taken him from rookie ball in Arizona through several full-season affiliates and into the Athletics’ rotation.
Early Life and Background
Jacob Lopez was born on March 11, 1998, and grew up in the Santa Clarita area of Southern California. He attended Saugus High School, where he played baseball and developed into a draft-eligible prospect. His time at Saugus helped him gain the attention of college scouts and professional scouts alike.
After high school, Lopez continued his baseball career at College of the Canyons, a community college also located in Santa Clarita, California. Playing for the College of the Canyons Cougars allowed Lopez to refine his pitching skills and stay on the radar of Major League Baseball clubs. The combination of high school and college experience prepared him for the next step of being selected in the MLB draft.
Path to Baseball
Lopez’s professional path began in the 2018 MLB draft, when the San Francisco Giants selected him in the 26th round with the 766th overall pick. He made his professional debut that summer with the rookie-level Arizona League Giants, where he pitched in 9 games and posted a strong 1.42 earned run average. The early results confirmed his potential as a starting pitcher in the organization.
He began the 2019 season with the Low-A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, where he started 9 games and recorded a 3.02 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 41 and two-thirds innings. The performance was strong enough to show that Lopez could handle a full-season workload. In late July 2019, the Giants traded Lopez to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for first baseman Joe McCarthy, beginning the next chapter of his career.
Jacob Lopez Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Following the trade to Tampa Bay, Lopez joined the Low-A Hudson Valley Renegades and made 3 starts down the stretch in 2019. He went 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA and 18 strikeouts, giving the Rays a successful look at their new acquisition. The Rays saw enough to keep moving him through their system.
Lopez did not pitch in an official game during the 2020 minor league season because the campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the lost development time, the Rays kept Lopez in their long-term plans, and he returned to action in 2021 at the High-A level.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2021–2024)
Lopez opened the 2021 season with the High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods, where he made 14 appearances, including 10 starts, and posted a 3-1 record with a 2.30 ERA and 88 strikeouts across 54 and two-thirds innings. The season showed progress, but late August brought a setback when Lopez suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from the procedure.
Lopez returned healthy in 2023 and began the year with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. After 8 strong appearances, he was promoted to the Triple-A Durham Bulls, where he made 18 starts and went 4-5 with a 2.72 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 79 and one-third innings. The performance earned him a major league call-up, and on August 14, 2023, Lopez was promoted to the majors. He made his debut that same day against the San Francisco Giants, working in relief and recording a save. In 4 appearances with the Rays that year, he posted a 4.38 ERA with 8 strikeouts across 12 and one-third innings. He began the 2024 season back at Triple-A Durham and appeared in 4 games for the Rays, logging a 5.23 ERA with 8 strikeouts across 10 and one-third innings.
Athletics Era (2025–Present)
On December 14, 2024, Lopez was traded to the Athletics, along with pitcher Jeffrey Springs, in a deal that sent Joe Boyle, Will Simpson, Jacob Watters, and a Competitive Balance Round A pick in the 2025 MLB draft to Tampa Bay. The trade marked the beginning of Lopez’s first full opportunity in an MLB rotation. He was optioned to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators to open the 2025 season and made three minor league appearances before being called up.
Lopez made his Athletics debut on April 18, 2025, and settled into the rotation. Through May 31, 2026, he had recorded a 12-10 win-loss record, a 4.99 ERA, and 167 strikeouts in his major league career, with the bulk of those innings coming as a starter for the Athletics. His 2025 season established him as a regular member of the Athletics’ pitching staff.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lopez’s major league debut on August 14, 2023, against the San Francisco Giants was a memorable moment, as he recorded a save in relief against the very organization that had originally drafted him. The trade to the Athletics in December 2024, paired with a healthy 2025 season, allowed him to put together his first extended run as a major league starting pitcher. Reaching the 167-strikeout mark across his MLB appearances further confirmed his strikeout profile as a starter.
Jacob Lopez Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Information about Jacob Lopez’s family background is not widely documented in public sources.
Personal Life
Jacob Lopez is a native of the Santa Clarita, California, area and is known by his given name in his professional baseball career. Details about his personal relationships are not publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
Lopez opened the 2025 season with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators before earning a promotion to the Athletics in mid-April. After his April 18 debut, he quickly slotted into the Athletics’ starting rotation and provided consistent innings. His mid-rotation profile gave the Athletics a reliable arm behind their veteran starters.
His 2025 performance included a regular spot in the rotation and an opportunity to build durability following his 2022 Tommy John surgery. He finished the year as a fixture in the Athletics’ pitching plans, and his work through the end of May 2026 reflected a continued ability to miss bats at the major league level. Headed into the rest of the 2026 schedule, Lopez remained a key part of the Athletics’ rotation outlook.
