Drafted in the 8th round (238th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005 (signed for $300,000).
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Lopez wasn't even considered one of the three best players on his high school team at the start of the 2005 season, but has improved so dramatically that he's now considered the premier position player in the entire Sacramento area, and a possible fourth- or fifth-round pick. He has improved his average in three years from .284 as a sophomore to .407 as a junior and .479 as a senior, and has become a feared power hitter in the process. He also has developed a good eye at the plate and had posted a .646 on-base percentage this year. Besides power, Lopez' other big tool is his arm. He was bothered by a bad elbow in 2004 but now has an above-average right-field arm. Like McClatchy High righthander Vance Worley, the top pitching prospect in Sacramento, Lopez has committed to Long Beach State, but the 49ers might not get either because both are expected to be early-round picks.
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Some Devil Rays officials say Delmon Young is the only hitter in the system with a better approach than Lopez, an eighth-round pick in June. Several teams were wary of his commitment to Long Beach State, but he signed for $300,000, the equivalent of late third-round money. Not only did he hit .325 in his pro debut, but he also raked against older pitchers during instructional league, where he reminded veteran scouts of Magglio Ordonez. Lopez has a line-drive stroke and quick wrists that should allow him to clear fences consistently in the future. He tends to get a bit upright in his stance at the plate, and while he has a good eye, he can do a better job of making contact. While his baserunning ability is fringe average, he has good range and plus arm strength in right field. He'll spend his first full pro season in low Class A.
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