Javy Lopez Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
Javy Lopez was born on November 5, 1970, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was signed as a free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 1987 and made his major league debut in 1992. Lopez played in only 97 games over his first three seasons, but he emerged in 1995 with a .315 batting average, 14 home runs, and 51 RBIs in 100 games. He became the Braves’ starting catcher in 1996 and helped lead the team to the World Series, winning NLCS MVP along the way. Lopez stayed with the Braves through the 2003 season, playing for the Baltimore Orioles in 2004 and 2005, and splitting 2006 with the Orioles and the Boston Red Sox. Lopez sat out the 2007 season, but has not announced any plans to retire.

During his years with Atlanta, Lopez established himself as a legitimate threat at the plate with impressive power. He has had two seasons of over 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, and four seasons with a .300-plus batting average. His best season to date came in 2003, his last with Atlanta, when he hit .328 with 43 home runs and 109 RBIs and won the Silver Slugger award. A three-time All-Star, Lopez has career totals of 260 home runs, 1,527 hits, 864 RBIs, 674 runs scored, and a .287 batting average.