Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: 2022 Minor League Statistical Leaders

WHIP, Strikeout-To-Walk Ratio and xFIP (Starter)
Luis Ortiz

Luis Ortiz has rocketed up the Pirates system, going from Bradenton at the end of 2021 to the Major Leagues at the end of 2022. Ortiz did face some bumps in the road, but that’s not wholly uncommon for a guy who entirely skips a level of the minor leagues. But by the end of the season, Ortiz established himself as a potential long-term cog of the Pirates’ major league rotation.

Ortiz tossed 124.1 innings for both Altoona and Indy. He only had a 4.56 ERA and 4.40 FIP but had a 1.14 WHIP, the best among Pirates starting pitching prospects. xFIP was much kinder to him, with a 3.75 mark. This mainly comes from the fact he had a 17.4% HR/FB ratio. He also had a great 27.1% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate, leading to a 3.63 K:BB ratio, yet another stat he led all Pirates starting pitching prospects in.

Ortiz made the major leagues and pitched 16 total innings. Although he gave up eight earned runs, six of those came in his fourth start. He still had a 24.6% strikeout rate while allowing a single home run. His 14.5% walk rate wasn’t anything to be proud of, but again, it was inflated by his poor last start of 2022.

Ortiz will look to fully establish himself in 2023. The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t had a starting pitcher with this good of a fastball since Gerrit Cole in 2013. Ortiz consistently hits 98-99 MPH and will hit 100 MPH quite often. He is one of the many prospects with a bright outlook on the future in the Pirate system.