Jose de Jesus Ortiz

United States

Founder @ https://t.co/d6e1Nuxiaa. @ouresquina Former STL Post-Dispatch Sports columnist, Former #Astros, #Mets, #Rays beatwriter. Former national BBWAA president. 📢

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Articles

Astros' Ethan Pecko Stands Poised For A Big Season

3 weeks ago | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

“He really came through, put himself on the map,” Rivera said. “He’s one of our top pitching prospects right now. He continues to improve. “Obviously the stuff is pretty good. The velo continues to climb. The work ethic is there.”The Astros picked Pecko as their organizational minor league pitcher of the year in 2024. He could push his way to the big leagues this year. The 22-year-old can ride his fastball up to 96 mph but it usually sits 92-94. Pecko is still refining his slider and cutter.
Trade Acquisition Cam Smith Brings Excitement To Astros Following

2 months ago | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

The Astros were excited to add Smith to their system after acquiring him along with all-star third baseman Isaac Paredes in the Kyle Tucker trade. The Cubs drafted Smith 14th overall out of Florida State. Smith signed early enough to play 32 games in his pro debut, reaching Double-A Tennessee for a week. At three minor league levels, he hit .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs in 32 games.
Astros' Anderson Brito Adds New Pitches To Complement Blazing Fastball

Jan 17, 2025 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

“Man, he’s a super smart kid, mature well past his age,” Fayetteville manager Ricky Rivera said. “I would say he’s very cognizant of the movements of his body. “The kid is a workhorse. He’s an 80-grade teammate and the fastball speaks for itself.”The righthander’s fastball hit 99 mph in 2024, helping him cruise through the Dominican Summer League with a 0.40 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.
Astros' Brice Matthews Hits His Way To Precipice Of MLB

Oct 12, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jaden Hamm Joins |Jose de Jesus Ortiz

Skip to content When Astros GM Dana Brown was asked about prospects who could help the big league team next season, the first player he mentioned was 22-year-old shortstop Brice Matthews. Matthews took big steps forward in his first full pro season after the Astros—his hometown team—drafted him in the first round out of Tennessee in 2023. “We really like the way Brice Matthews has been playing,” Brown said.
Shay Whitcomb: Astros 2024 Minor League Player Of The Year

Sep 22, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

Third baseman Shay Whitcomb struggled when he reached Triple-A Sugar Land in 2023. He worked diligently in the offseason to make sure that didn’t happen again in 2024. Mission accomplished. The 25-year-old Whitcomb hit .293/.378/.530 with 25 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 108 games for Sugar Land this season, earning his first big league callup on Aug. 17. “Shay is a fantastic player and a fantastic kid off the field,” Astros farm director Jacob Buffa said.
Astros' A.J. Blubaugh Adds Finishing Touches At Triple-A

Jul 30, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

He said his curveball is a whiff pitch “if it’s one of those days.”Blubaugh needed just three pitches at the Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. He took the mound with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning for the American League squad. Blubaugh allowed only one of his inherited runners to score, holding the National League to a sacrifice fly and a line out.
Derek True Surprises Astros With More Velocity Than Expected

Jun 3, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

“When we took Bloss out of the draft, we knew the arm talent,” Astros senior director of player development Jacob Buffa said. “It was evident. It was just a matter of him maturing into pro ball. What we never can really expect is the uptick in velo we saw in True.”True’s fastball topped out at about 92 mph in college and then during his brief debut in the Rookie-level Florida Coast League last year.
Astros' Pascanel Ferreras Proves He Is No Mr. Irrelevant — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America

May 9, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

But Ferraras came out swinging with High-A Asheville this season. He hit .309/.411/.457 with three home runs in 21 games to earn a rapid promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi. Astros senior director of player development Jacob Buffa notes that Ferreras hasn’t changed much of his approach at the plate this season. “I think (Ferreras is) just adjusting to the change in competition level after a short stint last year,” Buffa said. “He’s getting to pitches middle-away much better as a result.
German Ramirez Impresses Astros At First U.S. Spring Training — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America

Apr 2, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

The Astros signed Ramirez for $1.2 million out of the Dominican Republic in January 2023. He was 16 years old for most of the first two months of his pro career last year. In 48 games he hit .257/.324/.328 with one home run in the Dominican Summer League. “He’s got a good arm, good action at short, plus bat speed with a flat swing,” Buffa said of Ramirez. “I thought he did excellent this spring. He had good contact rates. He’s still growing into his body trying to get into his body.
Understanding His Swing Is Next Step For Astros' Jacob Melton — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America

Feb 18, 2024 | baseballamerica.com | Jose de Jesus Ortiz

Jacob Melton’s hitting ability is the first thing that stood out when Astros farm director Jacob Buffa saw him play for Oregon State. Melton is more than a hitter, though. The Astros envision the 6-foot-3, 208-pound Melton as a big league center fielder, and that’s where the 23-year-old is likely to see most of his playing time this season. “I saw (Melton’s) swing in college,” Buffa said of the 2022 second-rounder.