RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues
ROSTERED IN: 5% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: With starting pitcher Vince Velazquez’s elbow injury and subsequent move to the 15-day IL, Pirates' top pitching prospect Luis L. Ortiz returns to the big leagues.
Ortiz debuted last year. He owned a 4.50 ERA with a 24.6% K rate and a 14.5% walk rate over four games. While his ERA and walk rate is concerning, one lousy outing threw the numbers off. He entered October with a 1.17 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in three starts but was walloped with six runs in the first inning by the Cardinals.
Pirates brass hoped Ortiz would solidify a spot on the 26-man entering the year. But through three spring training starts, Ortiz had command issues that resulted in a 10.50 ERA and a .429 opponent batting average.
He was assigned to Triple-A to work through his command issues. He regained form in Indianapolis, with a 2.23 ERA through seven starts. With that, he became the Buccos’ preferred call-up.
The 24-year-old utilizes an unquestionably elite fastball-slider combo. His four-seam fastball — which often touches triple digits — had a .114 opponent batting average in 2022. His slider had a 47.3% whiff rate and .226 opponent wOBA in 2022.Ortiz debuted last year. He owned a 4.50 ERA with a 24.6% K rate and a 14.5% walk rate over four games. While his ERA and walk rate is concerning, one lousy outing threw the numbers off. He entered October with a 1.17 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in three starts but was walloped with six runs in the first inning by the Cardinals.
Luis Ortiz, Dirty Sliders. 😨 pic.twitter.com/Tp6SLR1jkA
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 14, 2022
He’ll make his first start on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. Considering the weak offense in Colorado, he’s a great streaming candidate this week. However, his long-term success won’t be apparent in the box score. If there are command issues in that Rockies game, avoiding a long-term pickup of Ortiz would be best.
Ortiz can be a top-of-the-line starter, and he’s shown flashes of success this season at Triple-A, but he’ll need to have a couple of quality starts to stay in the majors. Currently, he’s nothing more than a fun streamer or prospective add in deep leagues. But if he can gain a foothold as a major leaguer, he’ll be a mid-tier starting option in fantasy baseball.
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