Hot-hitting Alejo Lopez and the Reds look to pillage and plunder the visiting Pirates

No one on the Reds roster is swinging a hotter bat than Alejo Lopez.

In his brief MLB career, there's no denying that Alejo Lopez has a skill, and that skill is hitting. The 26-year-old switch-hitter is slashing .455/.500/.727 over his last seven games including his first major league round-tripper in yesterday's 7-6 defeat in Milwaukee.

Inflicting damage at the plate is nothing new for the Mexican-born Lopez. Since joining the Cincinnati Reds organization as a 27th-round selection in the 2015 MLB Draft, Lopez has posted impressive offensive numbers. Throughout parts of seven minor league seasons, the Reds' utility infielder has produced a .298/.371/.392 slash line.

How hot has Lopez been of late? Since being recalled from Triple-A Louisville on August 9th, the Lopez has compiled five multi-hit games, including collecting three hits in a trio of contests. Even before yesterday's 3-for-3 performance, Lopez has paced Cincinnati with a .412 batting average and .429 on-base percentage over the last four weeks.

As we look toward the 2023 Cincinnati Reds roster, it's easy to see Alejo Lopez being with the big league club to open the season. First of all, he can play all over the field and offers far more upside than the likes of Matt Reynolds. Second, and undoubtedly important to the Reds front office, he'll have limited impact on the club's payroll.

Prediction: Reds take 3-of-4 from the Pirates.

Despite dropping the weekend series in Milwaukee, the Reds are playing solid baseball of late, winning two of their last three series. How about we make that three of the last four.?

Look for the Redlegs to take 3-of-4 from the Bucs before returning to the road for a four-game weekend set against the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals.