Texas Rangers: Five NRI’s to watch this spring training

Texas Rangers’ NRI’s to watch: RHP Luis Ortiz

Luis Ortiz‘s name may sound familiar to many Rangers fans, and that’s because Texas took him 30th overall in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft.

Ortiz was once considered one of the top pitching prospects in the Rangers’ system, but was shipped to Milwaukee in the 2016 Jonathan Lucroy trade.

Milwaukee turned around and sent him to Baltimore with Jonathan Villar for second baseman Jonathan Schoop two years later.

He would go on to make his big league debut with Baltimore in 2018, but has struggled since reaching the game’s highest level.

Over his two seasons with the Orioles, Ortiz struggled to a 12.71 ERA while allowing 10 runs on 11 hits over 5.2 innings.

The former top prospect has a chance to re-establish some value this spring in Rangers’ camp, and pitch for a long-relief or back-end starter role.

If he pitches well, he could have a shot to win one of the rotation spots, but it’s more likely that he’ll begin the season at Frisco or Round Rock.