AB | 246 |
---|---|
AVG | .252 |
OBP | .355 |
SLG | .411 |
HR | 7 |
- Full name Joseph Anthony Ortiz
- Born 07/14/1998 in Garden Grove, CA
- Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School New Mexico State
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Drafted in the 4th round (108th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 (signed for $450,000).
View Draft Report
It’s all about the glove for Ortiz, who many scouts project to have a long professional career because he plays shortstop so well. He’s a plus defender with good actions in the field and is regarded as a very hard worker. His tick below-average to average arm plays up because he’s fast with his exchange and gets rid of the ball quickly. Ortiz is on the smaller side at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, and he makes limited impact when he connects. He has good bat-to-ball skills, however, and makes consistent contact at the plate. Ortiz is no more than an average runner, but his reputation as an impact defender at a premium position should get him drafted on Day 2.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Drafted out of the friendly offensive environment of New Mexico State, Ortiz was an early second-day pick in 2019 mostly because of his elite traits at shortstop. The pandemic allowed him to address his offensive shortcomings. He added nearly 30 pounds of muscle to his frame and leveraged his swing toward elevated contact. His breakout was cut short in 2021 due to a torn left labrum that required surgery, and he struggled in the first half of 2022 before a breakout that brought him to Triple-A Norfolk. From July 1 to the end of the season, Ortiz hit .352/.416/.610 and led the minor leagues with 101 hits, 68 runs and 175 total bases. His 1.026 OPS ranked seventh in that time.
Scouting Report: Ortiz always boasted exceptional contact ability--he only whiffed 7.4% of the time in 2022, best in the organization--but the quality of contact wavered early in the year as he struggled to come back from his lead shoulder injury. By adjusting his hand placement to allow him to get to a better launch position and focusing more on the areas where he can drive the ball as opposed to just making contact, Ortiz started producing elite exit velocities. His adjustments and improvements raised his offensive capabilities to potentially an above-average hitter with average power. He drives the ball well to all fields but could improve his pull-side power. Considering he is a true shortstop with plus capabilities at the position thanks to his range, play-making ability and arm, that makes for quite an intriguing tool set.
The Future: Ortiz's defensive versatility and ability to play shortstop give him a utility floor, but his offensive progress makes an everyday role likely if he can sustain it. Ortiz likely needs more time at Triple-A before a major league debut, but not much time if he continues hitting.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 60. Arm: 55. -
Track Record: Ortiz starred at New Mexico State at third base as a freshman and then for two years as a standout shortstop whose advanced glove was enough to get him drafted early on the second day in 2019. Ortiz added nearly 30 pounds of muscle and remade his swing during the 2020 shutdown to add a big league offensive profile to go with his glove. He was one of the Orioles’ breakout prospects before requiring surgery to repair a torn left labrum.
Scouting Report: By adding loft to his swing and catching the ball out front to elevate it more consistently, Ortiz took what was a meek offensive skill set and created the potential to be an average hitter with fringe-average power. He cut his groundball rate by nearly 12% from 2019 to 2021. Despite bulking up and increasing his ability to impact the ball more consistently, Ortiz didn’t lose much of his defensive promise. He primarily played shortstop, where he can at least be above-average, with the range for second and the arm for third when he played there.
The Future: There’s always a major league role for a true shortstop, but Ortiz could be a big league regular because of his improved offensive profile. He didn’t spend much time at Double-A Bowie before his injury, and should return there in 2022.
Draft Prospects
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It's all about the glove for Ortiz, who many scouts project to have a long professional career because he plays shortstop so well. He's a plus defender with good actions in the field and is regarded as a very hard worker. His tick below-average to average arm plays up because he's fast with his exchange and gets rid of the ball quickly. Ortiz is on the smaller side at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, and he makes limited impact when he connects. He has good bat-to-ball skills, however, and makes consistent contact at the plate. Ortiz is no more than an average runner, but his reputation as an impact defender at a premium position should get him drafted on Day 2.
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
-
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Drafted out of the friendly offensive environment of New Mexico State, Ortiz was an early second-day pick in 2019 mostly because of his elite traits at shortstop. The pandemic allowed him to address his offensive shortcomings. He added nearly 30 pounds of muscle to his frame and leveraged his swing toward elevated contact. His breakout was cut short in 2021 due to a torn left labrum that required surgery, and he struggled in the first half of 2022 before a breakout that brought him to Triple-A Norfolk. From July 1 to the end of the season, Ortiz hit .352/.416/.610 and led the minor leagues with 101 hits, 68 runs and 175 total bases. His 1.026 OPS ranked seventh in that time.
Scouting Report: Ortiz always boasted exceptional contact ability--he only whiffed 7.4% of the time in 2022, best in the organization--but the quality of contact wavered early in the year as he struggled to come back from his lead shoulder injury. By adjusting his hand placement to allow him to get to a better launch position and focusing more on the areas where he can drive the ball as opposed to just making contact, Ortiz started producing elite exit velocities. His adjustments and improvements raised his offensive capabilities to potentially an above-average hitter with average power. He drives the ball well to all fields but could improve his pull-side power. Considering he is a true shortstop with plus capabilities at the position thanks to his range, play-making ability and arm, that makes for quite an intriguing tool set.
The Future: Ortiz's defensive versatility and ability to play shortstop give him a utility floor, but his offensive progress makes an everyday role likely if he can sustain it. Ortiz likely needs more time at Triple-A before a major league debut, but not much time if he continues hitting.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 60. Arm: 55. -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Drafted out of the friendly offensive environment of New Mexico State, Ortiz was an early second-day pick in 2019 mostly because of his elite traits at shortstop. The pandemic allowed him to address his offensive shortcomings. He added nearly 30 pounds of muscle to his frame and leveraged his swing toward elevated contact. His breakout was cut short in 2021 due to a torn left labrum that required surgery, and he struggled in the first half of 2022 before a breakout that brought him to Triple-A Norfolk. From July 1 to the end of the season, Ortiz hit .352/.416/.610 and led the minor leagues with 101 hits, 68 runs and 175 total bases. His 1.026 OPS ranked seventh in that time.
Scouting Report: Ortiz always boasted exceptional contact ability--he only whiffed 7.4% of the time in 2022, best in the organization--but the quality of contact wavered early in the year as he struggled to come back from his lead shoulder injury. By adjusting his hand placement to allow him to get to a better launch position and focusing more on the areas where he can drive the ball as opposed to just making contact, Ortiz started producing elite exit velocities. His adjustments and improvements raised his offensive capabilities to potentially an above-average hitter with average power. He drives the ball well to all fields but could improve his pull-side power. Considering he is a true shortstop with plus capabilities at the position thanks to his range, play-making ability and arm, that makes for quite an intriguing tool set.
The Future: Ortiz's defensive versatility and ability to play shortstop give him a utility floor, but his offensive progress makes an everyday role likely if he can sustain it. Ortiz likely needs more time at Triple-A before a major league debut, but not much time if he continues hitting.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 60. Arm: 55. -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Ortiz starred at New Mexico State at third base as a freshman and then for two years as a standout shortstop whose advanced glove was enough to get him drafted early on the second day in 2019. Ortiz added nearly 30 pounds of muscle and remade his swing during the 2020 shutdown to add a big league offensive profile to go with his glove. He was one of the Orioles' breakout prospects before requiring surgery to repair a torn left labrum.
Scouting Report: By adding loft to his swing and catching the ball out front to elevate it more consistently, Ortiz took what was a meek offensive skill set and created the potential to be an average hitter with fringe-average power. He cut his groundball rate by nearly 12% from 2019 to 2021. Despite bulking up and increasing his ability to impact the ball more consistently, Ortiz didn't lose much of his defensive promise. He primarily played shortstop, where he can at least be above-average, with the range for second and the arm for third when he played there.
The Future: There's always a major league role for a true shortstop, but Ortiz could be a big league regular because of his improved offensive profile. He didn't spend much time at Double-A Bowie before his injury, and should return there in 2022. -
Track Record: Ortiz starred at New Mexico State at third base as a freshman and then for two years as a standout shortstop whose advanced glove was enough to get him drafted early on the second day in 2019. Ortiz added nearly 30 pounds of muscle and remade his swing during the 2020 shutdown to add a big league offensive profile to go with his glove. He was one of the Orioles’ breakout prospects before requiring surgery to repair a torn left labrum.
Scouting Report: By adding loft to his swing and catching the ball out front to elevate it more consistently, Ortiz took what was a meek offensive skill set and created the potential to be an average hitter with fringe-average power. He cut his groundball rate by nearly 12% from 2019 to 2021. Despite bulking up and increasing his ability to impact the ball more consistently, Ortiz didn’t lose much of his defensive promise. He primarily played shortstop, where he can at least be above-average, with the range for second and the arm for third when he played there.
The Future: There’s always a major league role for a true shortstop, but Ortiz could be a big league regular because of his improved offensive profile. He didn’t spend much time at Double-A Bowie before his injury, and should return there in 2022.
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Ortiz was drafted as a plus defender out of New Mexico State in 2019, but his bat took a step forward this season prior to him going down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Ortiz hit for more power and got on base at a higher rate this season between High-A and Double-A. -
It's all about the glove for Ortiz, who many scouts project to have a long professional career because he plays shortstop so well. He's a plus defender with good actions in the field and is regarded as a very hard worker. His tick below-average to average arm plays up because he's fast with his exchange and gets rid of the ball quickly. Ortiz is on the smaller side at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, and he makes limited impact when he connects. He has good bat-to-ball skills, however, and makes consistent contact at the plate. Ortiz is no more than an average runner, but his reputation as an impact defender at a premium position should get him drafted on Day 2.