A day after the announcement that Grayson Rodriguez would make the jump from High-A Aberdeen to Double-A Bowie, it has been announced that another member of that IronBirds team will join him. This time it is shortstop prospect Joseph Ortiz, according to MASN’s Roch Kubatko.
With a farm system loaded with so many great prospects, Ortiz has somewhat fallen under the radar, and that is a tragedy and a blessing. So far in 2021, Ortiz has been electric from the plate and deserves every bit of this promotion.
Currently sitting at a .298 average and a .816 OPS, Ortiz has been doing nothing but hitting. He has 22 hits in 77 at-bats, with seven doubles and two triples. He is a speedster, who is also 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts this year.
Ortiz is one of those reverse split guys, who actually hits better against right-handed pitching from the right side of the plate. In 61 at-bats against righties, he has notched 18 of his 22 hits, including five doubles. A skill set like that will go a long way in his journey to the big leagues. He is still a good hitter against left-handed pitching as well, going 4-for-18 with two doubles against southpaws this season.
Ortiz, who is another member of the Orioles’ top-30 prospect list, joins an already stacked roster in Bowie. He will share the infield with names like Cadyn Grenier and Patrick Dorian.
With Ortiz’s promotion, Mike Elias and the rest of the front office and player development team may be looking for a new shortstop in Aberdeen, perhaps one named Gunnar Henderson or Jordan Westburg.
Congrats to Joseph Ortiz on his promotion, and we wish him the best of luck in Bowie!
The Baltimore Battery 