Tirso Ornelas Showing Well In Mexican Winter League
San Diego Padres outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas was added to the team's 40-man roster in July of last season, prompting speculation that there was a chance fans could see him inside Petco Park before the conclusion of 2024. That did not come to fruition, but Ornelas had a solid season at Triple-A nonetheless, slashing .297/.367/.497 with 23 home runs and a below-average strikeout rate of 16.1%. The 24-year-old has carried over that success into the Mexican Winter League while playing for the Charros de Jalisco. San Diego's 17th-ranked prospect is slashing .314/.419/.524 with five home runs and seven stolen bases in 30 games (124 PA). The Padres are likely set in the outfield at the moment with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and assuming they bring back free agent Jurickson Profar, but at the very least, Ornelas looks like a potential bench bat for 2025. If the Padres lose out on Profar, Ornelas could become fantasy-relevant, so it's a situation worth monitoring.
The San Diego Padres have demoted outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas back to Triple-A El Paso. It was as brief as a promotion as one could have for the Padres No. 25 per MLB Pipeline as the outfielder had his contract purchased by the big-league club on Sunday and then was sent back down hours later. Ornelas, 24, has been having a solid season for El Paso with a .316 batting average to go along with 12 homers and 57 RBI. With such a quick promotion, Ornelas was unable to get into a big-league game, but he is officially on the 40-man roster and could be an option down the road for San Diego. Even with a promotion, he can be left alone in all formats.
San Diego Padres outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas is a Mexican-born ballplayer who signed with the club in 2017. He has developed nicely in San Diego's farm system, reaching Triple-A for three games in 2022 before ultimately returning to Double-A this season. The left-handed hitter made impressive progress last season by dropping his strikeout rate to a solid 17.2 percent. That number has snuck back into the twenties this year, which could be why the Padres haven't called him back up to Triple-A quite yet. Elsewhere offensively, Ornelas hits for average and drives in runs but hasn't shown a whole lot of power. He's also average at best on the basepaths. Defensively, Ornelas has a mediocre glove and arm, likely limiting him to left field and accentuating the need for his bat to improve. Fortunately, Ornelas' bat did just that this past week. He showed promise in all parts of his offensive production, going 13-for-25 (.520) with four homers and 14 RBI. He also tallied five walks and six strikeouts along the way. If Ornelas can keep up this trend of putting the ball in play, drawing walks, and limiting strikeouts, he could be due for a promotion to Triple-A before the All-Star Break.
Tirso Ornelas
• LF
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Padres
