Ricky Ojeda

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #58 prospect in 2026 draft
  School:UC Irvine Age At Draft: 20.7
  
  Drafted: Never Drafted
  
  Ojeda assumed a prominent role last spring as a freshman and was one of UC Irvine’s most relied upon bullpen arms. Across 25 appearances that spanned 52 innings, the undersized lefthander pitched his way to a 3.46 ERA with 74 strikeouts to 25 walks across 52 innings. Ojeda enjoyed similar success this spring to the tune of a 3.55 ERA with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 83-to-29 in 66 innings. Primarily a two-pitch guy, Ojeda relies heavily on his low-90s fastball that he throws 78% of the time. It’s not overwhelming from a velocity standpoint and has topped out at 96 mph, but it plays well in the top half of the zone thanks to its running and riding life. Ojeda’s above-average control enables him to consistently locate the offering and maximize its traits. In addition to its 26% overall miss rate, it has an in-zone miss rate of 22%. Both are solid marks in general, but even more so considering its 76% usage. He pairs his heater with a loopy upper-60s-to-low-70s curveball that routinely flashes big-time depth. Ojeda rounds out his arsenal with a shorter upper-70s-to-low-80s slider that he throws almost exclusively to lefthanded hitters and an upper-70s changeup that flashes tumbling life. He has a simple, repeatable delivery in which he has a deep and somewhat stabby arm stroke. Ojeda is an above-average strike-thrower who’s been used almost exclusively in relief up to this point, though he figures to make the jump into the weekend rotation come next spring.
• Ranked #82 prospect in 2026 draft
  School: UC Irvine Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 20.7
  
  Ojeda has been a high-usage, high-leverage reliever for UC Irvine since the day he stepped on campus in 2024. In two seasons with the program, he has a 3.51 ERA over 54 appearances and 118 innings, with a 31.3% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate. After the 2025 spring season, Ojeda pitched in the Cape Cod League and also led Team USA in appearances. He’s an undersized lefthander at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, but has a swing-and-miss fastball that plays better than its 90-95 mph velocity. He’s touched 96, but the pitch plays up because of his command and the riding life of the pitch. While he pitches heavily off the fastball, Ojeda does have the ability to manipulate two breaking balls: a soft, loopy curveball in the low 70s and a harder slider around 80 mph. He’ll also mix in a split-changeup around 80 mph with good tumbling life. Ojeda has the strike-throwing ability to start, but very little experience in that role.