Joey Ortiz

Joey Ortiz's Biography

Joseph Anthony Ortiz was born on July 14, 1998. This American native attains the professional stature of being a baseball infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) at present. Ortiz made a noticeable entry into the MLB in 2023 when he debuted for the Baltimore Orioles.

Ortiz’s early life was significantly influenced by his high school days at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California. It was there he plunged himself completely into baseball and achieved a .417 hit rate with six triples during his senior year present in 2016. However, fate seemed to take a turn when Ortiz didn’t manage to earn a selection during the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. Thus, he enrolled himself at New Mexico State University with the intent to play college baseball for the New Mexico State Aggies.

Ortiz’s freshman year at New Mexico State in 2017 marked an instrumental journey in his career where he played in 55 games and achieved a .306 hit rate with 14 extra-base hits and 35 RBIs. The following year in 2018, he played a considerable stretch of sixty games and shined through, batting .289 with seven home runs, 54 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases. His success in that period led him to spend his summer playing for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League. Thus, he concluded his junior year in 2019 with a bang, playing in 55 games and batting .422 with eight home runs, 84 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 25 doubles. This led to his eventual nomination among the top five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award.

The Baltimore Orioles snatched Ortiz in the fourth round, with the 108th overall selection during the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. This escalated into a deal where Ortiz signed with the Orioles and made his professional debut with the Aberdeen IronBirds, batting .241 with one home run and 17 RBIs over 56 games. Truly, 2020 seemed to be a rough year for Ortiz as he couldn’t participate in a game due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He managed to commence his 2021 season with Aberdeen and received promotion to the Bowie Baysox during the season. However, a shoulder injury limping his performance permitted him to play only 35 games between both teams. Nevertheless, over those 35 games, Ortiz impressed by hitting .265 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He then returned to Bowie to begin the 2022 season.

Late August projected Ortiz’s promotion to the Norfolk Tides. He managed to play excellently for 137 games between both teams, slashing .284/.349/.477 with 19 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 35 doubles. The Orioles recognised his efforts on November 15, 2022, by selecting Ortiz’s contract and adding him to the 40-man roster as a protective measure from the Rule 5 draft. He was then optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to start off the 2023 season.

Ortiz’s promotional journey to the major leagues took place on April 27, 2023, for the first time. His rookie campaign was defined by his 15 games in which he batted .212/.206/.242 with no home runs and 4 RBI.

As the year of 2024 dawned, the Baltimore Orioles decided to trade Ortiz along with DL Hall to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Corbin Burnes on February 1. Ortiz was then informed on March 25, that he had made it to the major league roster for the Brewers out of spring training. He started at second base on Opening Day, but eventually found himself participating actively at third base with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn. The news broke on May 15 when Dunn made his way to the minor leagues, effectively making Ortiz the starting player. Ortiz’s exceptional performance led to his selection as the NL Rookie of the Month in May.