Congratulations to Frisco Roughrider Abimelec Ortiz, who was named the Texas League Player of the Week for May 12-18. Ortiz slashed .450/.560/1.000 for the week in 25 plate appearances, with three home runs.
Ortiz, 23, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Texas Rangers out of Florida Southwestern State College in 2021, and had a breakout 2023 season when he slashed .294/.371/.619 between low-A Down East and high-A Hickory.
Ortiz moved to Frisco for 2023 but had a down year, slashing .243/.328/.432 on the season, although he improved as the season went on, slashing .306/.407/.574 from July 1 to season’s end. Ortiz is slashing .269/.359/.470 so far in his return to Frisco in 2025, including .353/.441/.667 in the month of May.
Ortiz is pretty much a bat-only guy — he has played mostly first base in the minors, where his listed height of 5’10” puts him at a disadvantage, though he has gotten work in right field as well the past two seasons — and so he’s going to have to hit a ton to carve out a major league career. He will likely get his first taste of AAA pitching later this season, particularly if he continues his recent hot performance.