Article: Get To Know: Kernels Shortstop Brandon Lopez

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins used their 10th-round pick in June on Brandon Lopez, a shortstop from the University of Miami. He wasn't able to sign for a couple of weeks because he helped lead the Hurricanes to the College World Series in Omaha.

 

After signing, he was sent to Elizabethton where he spent about a month. In 27 games, he hit .337/.470/.413 (.883) with five doubles and a triple. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids. He played in 18 games and hit .286/.393/.329 (.721) with three doubles. It was a strong first impression in the organization, especially the defense he played and his ability to get on base.Today, we catch up to the talented shortstop. We thank Brandon Lopez for taking time to answer our questions.

 

 

Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in south Florida, who was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players?

Brandon Lopez (BL):I've always been a Marlins fan growing up in South Florida. My favorite players growing up are Derek Jeter and Troy Tulowitzki. I would always make sure to watch them play and try to pick out certain things they did to better my game.

SS: What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? Did you play other sports or were you involved in other activities?

 

BL:The best memory of my high school career has to be winning states my senior year. I also played basketball in high school for two years.

SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school, and was there any question that you wanted to go to Miami?

BL:Growing up in South Florida, it was a childhood dream of mine to go to Miami. When I was offered a scholarship there sophomore year of high school, it was a no-brainer for me and my family.

SS: What were a couple of your highlights from your two college years at Miami? How great was the College World Series experience?

 

BL: Hitting a go ahead home run in the ACC tournament was one of my most memorable highlights. Playing in Omaha was definitely one of the best experiences in my career. Playing in front of 30,000 fans is a feeling that words cannot explain how incredible the feeling is.

SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? What was your interaction with the Twins scout?

 

BL:I did speak with a lot of scouts before, including the Twins. Once I got the call from the Twins, I knew this was the perfect team for me.

SS: The Twins took you in the 10th round. How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment?

 

BL: Well, at the moment we were getting ready to play a super regional game against Boston College. I had given my phone to my trainer in case my agent called with any news. My trainer came out during our stretch and told me the news. and all my teammates congratulated me t was awesome.

SS: What has the adjustment like for you, from the college game to the professional game, both on and off the field?

 

BL: There isn't the biggest adjustment because Miami did a great job preparing us for the next level. The biggest adjustment is playing everyday as to college just the weekend series.

SS: You put up great numbers in Elizabethton, and now have been very good in Cedar Rapids. Are you at all surprised to have experienced such success already, and what do you think has been the biggest reason for the success?

 

BL: I'd say the whole college experience and playing four years helped me develop my game every year. Also that baseball is a game of failure and it doesn't matter who you are, you're going to have bad days. The key is to stay confident in your game and abilities throughout the year.

SS: At this very early stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths?

 

BL:My biggest strengths are my defense and my ability to get on base.

SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve?

 

BL: Driving the ball in the gaps for power more often.

SS: What do you have planned for the offseason? What was your major in school?

 

BL: Hanging out with my family and friends back home and also heading to New York City for New Years. My major was sociology.

 

SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career?

 

BL: My mom and dad are my role models. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.

SS: Favorite Baseball movie?

 

BL:Major League

Thank you again to Brandon Lopez for taking to to let us get to know him. Please feel free to discuss and ask questions in the comments below.

 

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[bluechipper]

I'm looking forward to seeing what Brandon Lopez can do in a full season next year. You can't get too excited about a player's numbers when they're playing against younger competition, but he seems to have a good approach at the plate, and hopefully he can add a little power.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Very impressive start. I get that's he's 22 in A ball, but a .393 OBP? That looks promising.

 

Hopefully the Twins will push him along and we can see how he performs against more challenging pitching. Go Brandon!

[DocBauer]

Please correct me if I'm wrong here, but wasn't he supposed to be selected earlier than he was based on pee-draft rankings?

 

I would assume he'd begin next season at CR before a possible promotion to Ft Myers. But after college and his strong start last season, I wonder what the chances are he might skip straight to FTM to begin 2017.