FriarNotes: Ornelas capped strong winter, going 7-for-13 in Mexican playoffs
Padres prospect Tirso Ornelas, who was named the Mexican Pacific League Rookie of the Year after leading the winter league with a .353 batting average, learns Jan. 16 how he finished in the MPL’s Most Valuable Player voting.
The 21-year-old Tijuana native, who is ranked the Padres’ №29 prospect, finished his winter season going 7-for-13 in the playoffs with two doubles, four walks, two RBIs and three runs scored — although his Navojoa team was eliminated in the first round after winning the Mexican Pacific League’s regular season title.
Ornelas, who is almost eight years younger than the average age for an MPL player, went 77-for-218 in 60 regular-season games with 16 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 36 runs scored and 35 RBIs. He also had a .397 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage for a .869 OPS.
In addition to leading the league in hitting (he hit .365 overall including the playoffs), Ornelas finished third in the Mexican Pacific League rankings in doubles; fifth in OPS, hits and runs; sixth in slugging percentage; seventh in on-base percentage; 13th in RBIs and tied for third in triples. The slash line rankings were for qualifying players.
Ornelas, who hit .248 with 31 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 55 RBIs for High Single-A Fort Wayne last season, was one of five Padres minor leaguers active in winter league post-season play.
Left-handed-hitting outfielder Nomar Mazara, 26, was 3-for-10 in four games for Licey in the Dominican Republic winter league playoffs. He also drew five walks in the four games with five runs scored and two RBIs. Mazara played only seven games during the regular season, going 7-for-22 with a double, two homers, seven RBIs and two runs scored with a .318/.400/.636/1.036 slash line.
Catcher Webster Rivas, 31, who was re-signed as a minor league free agent by the Padres after being released from the 40-man roster, was 4-for-8 in two games for Gigantes in the Dominican League playoffs with two runs scored. In 20 regular season games with the Gigantes, Rivas was 11-for-51 with four doubles, eight RBIs and four runs scored for a .216/.305/.294/.599 slash line.
Infielder Domingo Leyba, 26, was 4-for-17 with a double, a walk and a stolen base in four Dominican Republic playoff games. He played 30 regular-season games with Estrellas, going 24-for-114 with six doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs and seven runs scored for a .211/.264/.316/.580 slash line.
Outfielder Agustin Ruiz, 22, didn’t have a plate appearance in one Mexican Pacific League playoff appearance for Jalisco. In 30 regular-season games, Ruiz, the Padres’ №28 prospect, went 17-for-69 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, seven RBIs and five runs scored with a .246/.325/.391/.716 slash line.
Catcher Gilberto Vizcarra, 22, played 23 games with his hometown Mexicali team in the Mexican Pacific League, going 18-for-65 with three doubles, six RBIs and 10 runs scored for a .277/.377/.323/.700 slash line.
Both Ruiz and Vizcarra were nearly seven years under the average age for a Mexican Pacific League player.
Infielder Kelvin Melean, 23, went 18-for-60 with two doubles, a home run, 10 RBIs and seven runs scored in 15 games with La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League for a .300/.328/.383/.711 slash line.
Left-handed-hitting outfielder Luis Liberato, 26, was 21-for-74 in 25 games with Escogido in the Dominican Republic. He had three doubles, five RBIs and 10 runs scored with a .284/.376/.324/.701 slash line.
And infielder-outfielder Esteury Ruiz, 22, who hit .249 for Double-A San Antonio last season with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 84 games, played 20 games for the Toros del Este in the Dominican Republic this winter. He went 7-for-43 with two doubles, a RBI, six runs scored and five stolen bases for a .163/.196/.209/.405 slash line.
