Lopez struck out in the first inning of Sunday’s season finale, lowering his average to .298.
In the bottom of the third, he snatched a grounder to first and raced down the line, narrowly beating out Miguel Sano’s throw and maintaining his .300 average.
The fans at Kauffman Stadium erupted in applause as he was replaced by Kyle Isbel.
Lopez’s ability to turn on the jets and progressively rise back up from a.224 average in mid-June is also outstanding.
In late August, he hit.292, and he stayed around .300 for the rest of September before tying it for the season in Game 162.
Lopez seemed destined to return to the minor leagues after a terrible spring training, slashing .118/.231/.142 with 13 strikeouts in 16 games.
However, when regular KC shortstop Adalberto Mondesi went down with the first of several ailments that would keep him out for the remainder of the season, Lopez was called upon to fill in.
Lopez not only hit.300, but he was also near-perfect on the base paths, stealing 22 bases in 23 attempts for a fantastic .956 Base stealing percentage.
Last season, Lopez was a Gold Glove candidate at second base, with a fielding percentage of.991 and only two errors.
Lopez leads the American League’s qualified shortstops with a fielding percentage of .987. With seven errors, he led the American League; his 371 assists and 77 double plays rank fifth in the majors, respectively.
Stolen Bases Does Nicky Lopez Have?
Nicky Lopez had 22 stolen bases in 2021.
