On this episode of the CVCS Baseball Podcast, head coach Clemente Bonilla talks to Javier López, a catcher who spent 15 years in Major League Baseball.

Originally from Puerto Rico, López made a significant mark as one of the most skilled and powerful catchers of his time. López signed with the Atlanta Braves in 1987 and made his MLB debut in 1992. His arrival coincided with a golden era for the Braves, who dominated the National League throughout the 1990s. López quickly became a crucial member of Atlanta’s roster because of his defensive skills, powerful swing, and rapport with the Braves' legendary rotation, which included future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. In 1995, he became a World Series Champion after the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians in six games.

He was named the NLCS MVP in 1996 after batting .545 (13 for 24) with eight runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and six RBIs against the St. Louis Cardinals in the series. He also went on to be named an NL All-Star in 1997, 1998, and 2003. He also collected the Silver Slugger Award at Catcher in 2003 after he hit 43 home runs while posting a remarkable .328 batting average. 42 of those 43 home runs were hit in games where he was actually catching, which is still a record number in a single season as a catcher.

López retired in 2006 after 15 seasons in the Major Leagues. In his career, he amassed 29.7 bWAR with 1527 hits, 260 HR, 864 RBI, a .287 batting average, and an .828 OPS.