“Massive” As Texas Rangers Young Slugging Prospect Wins Texas League Weekly Award

Texas Rangers first base prospect Abimelec Ortiz was named the top player in the Texas League for his work last week.

Abimelec Ortiz is wrapping up his 2024 minor league season on a high note.

The 22-year-old first baseman prospect for the Texas Rangers was named the Texas League Player of the Week for September 9-15. He had an impressive performance for Double-A Frisco last week, batting .524 with 11 hits in 21 at-bats, including four home runs, a double, eight RBIs, and four walks against just three strikeouts. In five games, he showcased his power with two home runs in consecutive games against Amarillo.

Over the course of the season with Frisco, Ortiz has a slash line of .243/.328/.432/.760, totaling 18 home runs, two triples, 21 doubles, and 64 RBIs in 115 games. He currently ranks tied for fourth in home runs in the Texas League.

Earlier this year, Ortiz was recognized as one of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, but he has since fallen out of that ranking. He made the list following a standout 2023 season where he earned the title of the Rangers’ Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year.

In 2023, Ortiz posted a slash line of .294/.371/.619/.990, hitting 33 home runs, 20 doubles, and driving in 101 RBIs across 109 games with Class-A Down East and High-A Hickory. He led the minor leagues in slugging percentage and topped the South Atlantic League with 26 home runs, ranking fourth across all minors in both home runs and OPS. Alongside his accolades from the Rangers, he was selected to MiLB’s Prospect Team of the Year second team.

This success came after an offseason spent working with former Major League player Carlos Delgado, following a 2022 season where he batted .226/.308/.380 with Down East. The Rangers signed Ortiz as a non-drafted free agent out of SouthWestern State Junior College in 2021 for $ 20,000.