Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 20 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Ortiz signed with the Rangers for $20,000 as a nondrafted free agent out of Puerto Rico in July 2021, and after training with Carlos Delgado and wearing contact lenses in games, he really started to take off by the 2023 season. He was named South Atlantic MVP and Rangers’ Minor League Player of the Year that campaign after going deep 33 times and slugging .619 across 109 games (80 of which were with High-A Hickory). Ortiz needed a second-half rebound with Double-A Frisco in ’24, returned there in ’25 and hit .283/.388/.565 with nine homers in 41 games with Triple-A Round Rock after an early August promotion. The Rangers added him to the 40-man roster as Rule 5 protection and traded him to the Nationals in January as part of the prospect return for MacKenzie Gore.

Standing 5-foot-10, Ortiz packs a punch from the left side of the box with significant strength. It’s already plus raw power (as evidenced by a 106.6 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity), and he gets to it in games with strong lift-and-pull tendencies. There is 25-30-homer potential here at peak. Ortiz isn’t the most selective hitter though, and he’s struggled against left-handers in the upper Minors. He’s also liable to really undercut balls, leading to a lot of infield popups that hurt his BABIP and overall production.

Ortiz is a bottom-of-the-scale runner too, so he won’t pick up extra bags on balls to the gap or many infield singles. Any production from his bat will come from its thunder. He’s moved between first base and right field in recent years, but his lack of range and arm make him a better fit for the cold corner. Washington has an opening there, and he could slide in as the broad (and powerful) side of a platoon.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Signed for $20,000 as a nondrafted free agent in 2021, Ortiz looked overmatched in his first full pro season before improving rapidly once he started training with fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Delgado, shortened his left-handed stroke and began wearing contact lenses during games. He won High-A South Atlantic League MVP and Rangers Minor League player of the year honors in 2023, when he topped the Minors in slugging (.619) and ranked fourth in homers (33) and OPS (.990). He recovered from a rough first half at Double-A last year to bat .309/.412/.636 with 15 homers in his final 43 games. Ortiz’s power took him to Triple-A in 2025, and after he was added to the 40-man roster in November, he was traded to the Nationals two months later as part of the MacKenzie Gore deal.

Ortiz's bat speed in his lefty stroke and his strength give him well-above-average raw power that plays to all fields, and he began to tap into it more often when he stopped swinging for the fences. A more selective approach helped him find better pitches to attack, enabling him to hit them harder and drive them in the air more frequently. He tightened his strike zone in 2024, cutting his K rate to 22 percent from 27 percent the year before, but struggled against breaking balls and left-handers.

Most of Ortiz's value will come from his offense because he's a well-below-average runner with fringy arm strength. He's a decent defender at first base, though he needs to reduce his errors. While he has looked better than expected as a right fielder in the Arizona Fall League and Double-A, the outfield corners are still a stretch because of his limited range.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Ortiz attended high school and trained at the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in his native Puerto Rico before following the program's pipeline to Florida Southwestern State JC. Signed for $20,000 as a nondrafted free agent in 2021, he didn't do much in his first full pro season but has taken off since shortening his left-handed swing and beginning to wear contact lenses during games. He led the Minors in slugging (.619) and ranked fourth in homers (33) and OPS (.990) in 2023, then shook off a rough first half in Double-A last season to slash .309/.412/.636 with 15 homers in his final 43 games.

Ortiz's strength and bat speed create well-above-average raw power. He began to tap into it more in games by toning down his approach, which allowed him to hit the ball in the air and with premium exit velocities on a more regular basis. Strikeouts always will be part of his package but he's showing more discipline than he had in the past and will draw his share of walks.

Because Ortiz is a well-below-average runner with fringy arm strength, there's a lot of pressure on his bat. He's an adequate defender at first base who needs to cut down on his errors. He looked better than expected in right field during the Arizona Fall League and in Double-A, but the outfield corners are still a stretch.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

Ortiz went to high school and trained at the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in his native Puerto Rico, a program that has sent several players to Florida Southwestern State JC. He followed that path and batted .349/.429/.596 in 2021 before signing with the Rangers for $20,000 as a nondrafted free agent, a move driven by Texas' international department led by director Hamilton Wise. Ortiz didn't do much in his first two pro seasons before breaking out in 2023, challenging for the Minor League lead in homers, slugging and OPS.

While Ortiz features one above-average tool, it's huge and coveted: well above-average raw power from the left side of the plate. He has an aggressive swing but makes a lot of hard contact and shows the ability to launch the ball out of any part of any ballpark. His approach will result in strikeouts but also could yield 30 or more homers per season.

Almost all of Ortiz's value will come from his offensive production, which does put some pressure on his bat. He's a 6-foot, 230-pounder with well below-average speed and fringy arm strength. First base and left field are his only viable options besides DH, and the hope is that he can become an adequate defender at first.

Awards

TEX Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

PCL Player of the Week

Week	Team
08/10/2025

TEX Player of the Month

Month	Team
07/2025

TEX Player of the Week

Week	Team
05/18/2025
09/15/2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Baseball America High Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2023

MiLB Awards All-MiLB Prospect Second Team

Year	Team
2023

SAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2023

SAL Most Valuable Player

Year	Team
2023

SAL Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/02/2023
06/25/2023

SAL Player of the Month

Month	Team
06/2023

DSL Player of the Month

Month	Team
08/2021

+ View More Awards

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	01/22/2026	Washington Nationals traded LHP MacKenzie Gore to Texas Rangers for 3B Gavin Fien, 1B Abimelec Ortiz, SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, RHP Alejandro Rosario and CF Yeremy Cabrera.
	11/18/2025	Texas Rangers selected the contract of 1B Abimelec Ortiz from Round Rock Express.
	08/05/2025	OF Abimelec Ortiz assigned to Round Rock Express from Frisco RoughRiders.
	03/06/2025	activated 1B Abimelec Ortiz.
	01/27/2025	1B Abimelec Ortiz roster status changed by Texas Rangers.
	01/27/2025	Texas Rangers invited non-roster 1B Abimelec Ortiz to spring training.
	12/08/2024	OF Abimelec Ortiz assigned to Equipo Nativos.
	11/07/2024	Gigantes de Carolina activated OF Abimelec Ortiz.
	11/07/2024	1B Abimelec Ortiz assigned to Gigantes de Carolina.
	03/27/2024	OF Abimelec Ortiz assigned to Frisco RoughRiders from Hickory Crawdads.
	03/07/2024	Texas Rangers Prospects activated OF Abimelec Ortiz.
	02/05/2024	Texas Rangers invited non-roster OF Abimelec Ortiz to spring training.
	02/05/2024	OF Abimelec Ortiz roster status changed by Texas Rangers.
	09/22/2023	Surprise Saguaros activated OF Abimelec Ortiz.
	05/23/2023	OF Abimelec Ortiz assigned to Hickory Crawdads from Down East Wood Ducks.
	11/10/2022	OF Abimelec Ortiz and assigned to Gigantes de Carolina.
	04/08/2022	OF Abimelec Ortiz and assigned to Down East Wood Ducks.
	11/06/2021	OF Abimelec Ortiz and assigned to Gigantes de Carolina.
	07/30/2021	OF Abimelec Ortiz assigned to DSL Rangers1.
	07/29/2021	OF Abimelec Ortiz assigned to Texas Rangers.