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Nationals Promote First Base Prospect Abimelec Ortiz, a Top Target for Power?
The Washington Nationals recalled first baseman/designated hitter Abimelec Ortz from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday and designated left-hander Matt Krook for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Ortiz, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Washington's No. 25 prospect, was acquired in the trade that sent left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers. He will be making his major-league debut the next time he gets on the field. Nusbaum adds that the Nationals are "obviously high" on Ortiz. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and sent to the Dominican Summer League in an unconventional move. The 24-year-old Puerto Rican left-hander has done nothing but hit, and he gets his first big-league call-up after slashing .235/.332/.481 with an .813 OPS, 16 home runs, 59 RBI, and 48 runs scored in 71 games for Rochester this year. Ortiz hit safely in his last 10 games with the Red Wings, batting .381/.438/.952 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in that span. He should see pretty regular playing time in D.C., making him a waiver target in deeper fantasy leagues for his power from the left side of the plate. UPDATE: Ortiz is serving as the DH and is batting third in Sunday's series finale against the New York Yankees and right-hander Will Warren.
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Abimelec Ortiz a Must-Stash Prospect for Home Run Upside
Washington Nationals first base prospect Abimelec Ortiz has emerged as a top waiver wire prospect as he continues to post impressive results in Triple-A. Through 49 games in the minors this year, Ortiz is slashing .263/.361/.514 with 10 home runs, 48 RBI, an 18.3% strikeout rate, and a 10.6% walk rate. The contact quality metrics are fantastic, including his 108.2 mph EV90 (96th percentile), 14.3% barrel rate (91st percentile), 48.6% hard-hit rate (84th percentile), and 24.6% pull-air rate (84th percentile). Meanwhile, his discipline numbers rank near average for Triple-A batters, which isn't too concerning for a power-oriented player like Ortiz. The fact that he's hitting the ball extremely hard while still walking more than 10% and striking out less than 20% is absolutely encouraging. He already has 90 career Triple-A games under his belt, so we'd expect to see him make his MLB debut sooner rather than later. Managers should stash him now, because he'll be an impact fantasy option when he does reach the majors.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
