Luis Ortiz (pitcher, born 1995)

Ortiz is of Mexican American descent.^[1]

Ortiz attended Sanger High School in Sanger, California.^[2][3] In his senior season, he had a 1.04 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 7 walks in 43.2 innings, while missing a few starts due to a forearm strain.^[4][5][6]

He was a closer for the 18-and-under USA Baseball national team that won a gold medal, and Ortiz won the World Cup MVP award.^[6] He had a win and three saves in five games with the team.^[5] ESPN.com's Keith Law ranked him No. 10 on his top-100 prospects list.^[5] In November 2013, he committed to play college baseball at Fresno State University.^[7]

The Texas Rangers selected Ortiz 30th overall in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.^[8] He signed on June 11 for a signing bonus of $1.75 million.^[9] Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said "[He has] good pure stuff and is a strike thrower with a big fastball with life. His out-pitch is a power slider. He has a repeatable delivery. He's a big-time competitor."^[5]

Ortiz reported to the 2014 AZL Rangers. After posting a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings in which he had 15 strikeouts, he was promoted to the Hickory Crawdads, where he posted a 1.29 ERA in seven innings in which he had four strikeouts.^[10]

He spent 2015 with Hickory, going 4–1 with a 1.80 ERA in 13 games started, pitching 50 innings in which Ortiz had 46 strikeouts.^[10] He was named a South Atlantic League Mid-Season All Star.^[11] He was on the disabled list for over two months with right forearm strain.^[11] He pitched for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, and had a 1.80 ERA in five innings of relief.^[10]

After being ranked the #4 prospect in the Rangers system by Baseball America, Ortiz started 2016 with the High Desert Mavericks going 3–2 with a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings in seven games (six starts).^[10][11] He was then promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders, where he was 1–4 with a 4.08 ERA in 9 games (8 starts).^[10]

On August 1, 2016, the Rangers traded Ortiz, outfielder Lewis Brinson, and outfielder Ryan Cordell to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for catcher Jonathan Lucroy and pitcher Jeremy Jeffress.^[12] He was assigned to the Double–A Biloxi Shuckers. In 22 games between High Desert, Frisco, and Biloxi, Oritz posted a 6–8 record with one save and a 3.08 ERA in 22 games (20 starts).^[10] At the time, his pitching repertoire consisted of a 93–96 mph plus fastball with some movement, an above-average 83–85 mph slider, and an average changeup.^[13]

After being ranked the #3 prospect in the Brewers system by Baseball America, Oritz returned to Biloxi in 2017.^[11] He pitched to a 4–7 record and 4.01 ERA in 94.1 innings pitched in 22 games (20 starts).^[14]

MLB.com ranked Ortiz as Milwaukee's fifth-best prospect going into the 2018 season, and Baseball America ranked him as its #4 prospect.^[11][15] He began the season with Biloxi. In July, he represented the Brewers in the 2018 All-Star Futures Game.^[16][11]

On July 31, 2018, Ortiz, Jonathan Villar and Jean Carmona were traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Jonathan Schoop.^[17] Pitching for the Triple–A Norfolk Tides (with whom he was the youngest player on the team's roster at 22 years of age) and Double–A Biloxi in 2018, he was a combined 5–5 with two saves and a 3.70 ERA as in 22 games (17 starts) in 99+2⁄3 innings he gave up 26 walks and had 86 strikeouts.^[10][11] Ortiz had his contract selected to the major league roster on September 4. He pitched 2+1⁄3 major league innings in 2018.^[10]

In 2019, Ortiz was optioned to Triple–A Norfolk to open the season.^[18] After being put on the injured list on July 4, 2019, he made only one appearance the rest of the season.^[11] Ortiz was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Norfolk on October 30.^[19] Ortiz did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[20] He became a free agent on November 2, 2020.^[21][22]

On December 16, 2020, Ortiz signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.^[23] Ortiz spent the 2021 season with the Triple-A Round Rock Express. He made 28 appearances (4 starts), going 2–2 with a 4.60 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 44 innings.^[10] He became a free agent on November 17, 2021.^[22]

On February 2, 2022, Ortiz signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants.^[24] Pitching for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats in 2022, he was 4–3 with two saves and a 4.54 ERA in 35 games (four starts), as in 67.1 innings he had 13 walks and 72 strikeouts.^[10] On September 7, Ortiz was selected to the major league roster.^[25] With the Giants, Ortiz posted a 1.04 ERA with 6 strikeouts in 8+2⁄3 innings of work.^[10]

On November 9, 2022, Ortiz was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies. Ortiz was optioned to the Triple–A Lehigh Valley IronPigs to begin the 2023 season.^[26] In 14 games for the Phillies, he recorded a 3.32 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 19 innings pitched.

Ortiz made one appearance for the Phillies in 2024 before he suffered a left ankle sprain and was placed on the injured list on March 31.^[27] While on rehab assignment, he injured his forearm,^[28] and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 5.^[29] It was later announced that Ortiz had undergone Tommy John surgery, ending his season prematurely.^[30] On November 4, Ortiz was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Lehigh Valley. Two days later, he elected free agency.^[31]

On December 20, 2024, Ortiz signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets.^[32] On July 28, 2025, he was placed on the full-season injured list, ruling him out for the season without making an appearance. Ortiz was released by the Mets organization on January 27, 2026.^[33]

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