ARLINGTON, Texas- After putting together one of the biggest seasons in all of Minor League Baseball this year, former Florida SouthWestern slugger Abimelec Ortiz has been named the Texas Rangers 2023 Minor League Player of the Year.
Ortiz had a monster year over two stops, hitting .294 with 20 doubles, 33 home runs, and 101 RBIs. His 33 home runs ranked 4th in all of Minor League Baseball while he was one of just 10 minor leaguers to reach the 100 RBI plateau. He began his season at Low A Down East where he made short work of Carolina League pitching, posting a .996 OPS with 15 extra base hits in 29 games to earn a call up to High A Hickory where he continued his tear, crushing 26 long balls and driving in 81 to earn South Atlantic League MVP honors for the Crawdads.
Ortiz starred for the Bucs as a freshman in 2021, earning 2nd Team All-Suncoast Conference honors while hitting .349 with 9 home runs and 47 RBIs, each of which at the time ranked second in FSW single season history. He had 16 multi-hit games for the Bucs including a career high 4 hit effort in a win over ASA Miami. His hottest stretch of the season came in early February when he homered in three straight games against #3 Chipola, #15 Miami Dade, and Indian River.
Ortiz went from a relatively unknown prospect as a 20 year old last year in Single A to one of the Rangers Top 15 prospects by season's end this year. Before wrapping up his 2023 season, Ortiz has been invited and will play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros, making him the second Buc in as many years to earn that honor, following FSW teammate Alex Ayala who played last season for the Mesa Solar Sox.