A year ago, right-hander Kyle Bradish set a New Mexico State record by being the first player from the program to be drafted in the fourth round. This year, Ortiz is the top Aggies player on Draft boards with the chance to be the first position player from the school to go in the top five rounds since the Nationals took outfielder Daniel Johnson in the fifth back in 2016.
Ortiz's best quality is his ability to stay at shortstop long-term. He has really good hands and first-step quickness to go along with enough arm to stick at the premium position. The right-handed hitter has a solid approach at the plate with very good bat-to-ball skills that have allowed him to hit over .400 this spring. He should be able to hit for average at the next level, though the power he has shown is a bit of a hitter-friendly environment and conference mirage.
A bit undersized, Ortiz isn't a sexy pick in terms of loud tools. But his high marks for work ethic and leadership skills to go along with his defensive chops and contact skills should give him a shot to go at some point on Day 2 of the Draft.
New Mexico State is a college hitters' paradise, so scouts weren’t sure what to make of Ortiz’s gaudy numbers as a three-year starter there, particularly his .422/.474/.697 line as a junior. The Orioles figured at least his defensive acumen was worth taking in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft, but it took a while to really know what kind of all-around player they had on their hands, between the pandemic in 2020 and a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder cutting his 2021 season short. He took a big step forward with a healthy 2022 in which he reached Triple-A, then hit .321/.378/.507 with Norfolk last year while making multiple stops in Baltimore. He was traded to the Brewers as part of the Corbin Burnes blockbuster in February.
Since being drafted, Ortiz has added a lot of strength that’s enabled him to consistently register high exit velocities. He hasn’t sacrificed any of his elite bat-to-ball skills, striking out just 17.2 percent of the time in his Minor League career while showing the ability to drive the ball to all fields with solid in-game pop.
There’s never been any question about his ability to defend. He has plus hands, actions, instincts and the ability to slow the game down, not to mention more than enough arm for shortstop. He’s shown the ability to play a plus second base and can even slide over to third, something that could come in handy given Milwaukee’s larger need at the hot corner with Willy Adames handling short. Adames is a free agent next season, however, and Ortiz could slide over to his natural position for the long haul in Milwaukee.
New Mexico State is a college hitters' paradise, so scouts weren’t sure what to make of Ortiz’s gaudy numbers as a three-year starter there, particularly his .422/.474/.697 line as a junior. The Orioles figured at least his defensive acumen was worth taking in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft, but it took a while to really know what kind of all-around player they had on their hands, between the pandemic in 2020 and a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder cutting his 2021 season short. He took a big step forward with a healthy 2022 in which he reached Triple-A, then hit .321/.378/.507 with Norfolk last year while making multiple stops in Baltimore. He was traded to the Brewers as part of the Corbin Burnes blockbuster in February.
Since being drafted, Ortiz has added a lot of strength that’s enabled him to consistently register high exit velocities. He hasn’t sacrificed any of his elite bat-to-ball skills, striking out just 17.2 percent of the time in his Minor League career while showing the ability to drive the ball to all fields with solid in-game pop.
There’s never been any question about his ability to defend. He has plus hands, actions, instincts and the ability to slow the game down, not to mention more than enough arm for shortstop. He’s shown the ability to play a plus second base and can even slide over to third, something that could come in handy given Milwaukee’s larger need at the hot corner with Willy Adames handling short. Adames is a free agent next season, however, and Ortiz could slide over to his natural position for the long haul in Milwaukee.
Looking to beef up their system with up-the-middle players, the Orioles made Ortiz the highest-drafted player taken out of New Mexico State when they picked him 108th overall in 2019. The selection came after Ortiz starred for the Aggies, leading the country in hits and runs as a junior while turning heads with his defensive prowess at shortstop. That plus glovework remains Ortiz’s calling card, and after a slow start offensively, he seemed to be coming into his own at the plate before his season ended prematurely due to shoulder surgery, though he was heating up again as the season wore on in Double-A in 2022.
Now amid a system brimming with up-the-middle players, Ortiz is regarded by many as perhaps the best defensive prospect of the bunch. He is a true shortstop, with a good clock, strong hands, slick actions and a natural ability to read balls off the bat. He has a plus arm that’s improved since his college days (the 2021 surgery was to his non-throwing shoulder), and remains athletic enough after adding strength during quarantine to move around the diamond if necessary.
Whether that happens probably depends on his bat, which briefly came to light last summer. After homering just once in his first 75 professional games, Ortiz celebrated his promotion to Double-A by homering four times in 16 contests at the level before injury struck. He doesn’t run particularly well, so it’ll be important for Ortiz to continue translating those power strides. If he does he could grow into a big league regular, or perhaps a defensive-minded utility player at the highest level.
2021
The Orioles’ fourth-round pick out of New Mexico State, Ortiz became the highest-drafted Aggie ever when Baltimore selected him 108th overall in 2019. He did so on the heels of a standout junior season, earning WAC Player of the Year honors after leading the country in hits and runs, and the conference in doubles, triples and total bases as well. Those skills didn’t immediately transfer to pro ball, with Ortiz posting a .612 OPS in his first 56 games before the pandemic struck. But Ortiz added strength in quarantine and looked like a different player at Orioles instructional camp in 2020, where he turned heads by impacting the baseball more frequently.
By that point, Ortiz had already established himself as one of the, if not the best, defensive prospects in the organization. He’s a true shortstop, with a good clock, strong hands, slick actions and natural ability to read balls off the bat. He has a plus arm that’s improved since his college days, and enough athleticism to move around the diamond if the bat doesn’t mature as hoped.
This season will go a way toward determining if and how quickly it does. Ortiz doesn’t run particularly well, so it’ll be important for him to translate the power strides he showed at instructional camp into real games. If not, his ceiling is probably of a defensive-minded utility player at the highest level.
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2023
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2024
11
8
11
12
10
11
13
11
11
9
10
16
11
11
14
9
11
10
13
13
12
13
13
12
9
10
9
7
13
12
12
Player
11
8
11
12
10
11
13
11
11
9
10
16
11
11
14
9
11
10
13
13
12
14
13
12
9
10
9
7
13
12
12
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here