Ortiz Brings New Pitch To High Desert

ARLINGTON—Righthander Luis Ortiz sure can draw a crowd.

Such was the case in late March when the 2014 first-round pick took to a back field at the Rangers’ spring home in Surprise, Ariz., for two innings of a minor league game.

As the 20-year-old went to the mound, coaches, scouts and media moved closer to the backstop, as close as they could get, to catch a glimpse of the Sanger (Calif.) High product.

---

They weren’t disappointed. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Oritz used his mid-90s fastball and his new favorite pitch, a changeup, to easily set down a group of Mexican minor leaguers.

After an elbow scare in 2015 and an offseason working out with Brewers righthander Matt Garza, who he calls his older brother, Ortiz is ready to tackle the challenges ahead at high Class A High Desert.

“I’m feeling great, like I’m on top of my craft right now,” Ortiz said. “I’m healthy. I’ve been putting in my work with my brother Matt and trying to do what he does. (I copy) the way he works, his work ethic and his demeanor on the mound.”

Ortiz’s favorite pitcher, though, is Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, and his changeup inspired Ortiz to start throwing the pitch. Ortiz found a clip of Hernandez working with the pitch, and took it from there.

The changeup was suggested to him after he was drafted, and he has continued working on it to the point where he feels comfortable throwing it in any count.

“I saw a video, grabbed the grip, threw it, and I loved it,” Ortiz said.

It could be a big pitch for him as he deals with the perils of pitching at High Desert in the California League. The most hitter-friendly park in the U.S. minors, High Desert can shake even the best pitcher.

Ortiz, though, has set only one goal this season—stay healthy.

“Pitching to me comes easy,” he said. “If you’ve been playing it your whole life, it comes easy. Staying healthy is the hardest part. You have to do the arm care and work out and keep your head on straight.”

RANGERS ROUNDUP

• The Rangers put righthander Matt Bush in a big role as the closer at Double-A Frisco after he impressed them with two scoreless outings in Cactus League games this spring.

• Center fielder Lewis Brinson, the Rangers’ No. 2 prospect, also opened the season at Frisco rather than Triple-A Round Rock. Though he finished 2015 at Triple-A, Brinson batted just 120 times in 28 games at Double-A.