Lopez's greater success came in Japan, where he played for six seasons between 1996 and 2002. He spent five seasons with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 1998. He was twice selected to the Japanese post-season all-star team, the Best Nine, for the Central League in 1996 and 1997. Overall, he batted .303 with 129 home runs over his Japanese career.
He was born to a family of Puerto Ricans. His father, Victor Lopez, ran a supermarket. His mother, Providencia Pagan, was a housewife. He has two older siblings named Victor and Nancy. Baseball runs deep in the family. Lopez’s grandfather Jose Lopez was local sports coach in the family’s hometown of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.[citation needed]