Padres On Deck: Ornelas finished Mexican winter season with leading .353 average
The Mexican Pacific League regular season ended Dec. 23 with Padres’ outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas in line for several awards.
Ornelas, a 21-Year-old native of Tijuana, finished with a .353 batting average in 60 games for league champion Navojoa. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound, left-handed hitter had the highest batting average in the league among qualifying players.
Ornelas went 77-for-218 with 16 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 35 RBIs and 36 runs scored.
The Padres’ №29 prospect also ranked third in doubles, tied for fourth in triples, fifth in hits, tied for fifth in runs scored and tied for 13th in RBIs.
He also finished 11th with a .869 OPS with a .472 slugging percentage (12th-best in the league) and a .397 on-base percentage (14th-best in the MPL.
Ornelas still qualifies as a rookie in the Mexican Pacific League. He is also a candidate for Most Valuable Player honors.
Catcher Gilberto Vizcarra (Mexicali) and outfielder Agustin Ruiz (Jalisco) also completed the Mexican Pacific League regular season on teams headed to the post-season.
Vizcarra, 22, hit .277 in 23 games with a .377 on-base percentage and a .323 slugging percentage for a .700 OPS. The 5-foot-10 Vizcarra went 18-for-65 with three doubles, six RBIs and 10 runs scored. He drew seven walks against only six strikeouts.
Ruiz, 22, a left-handed hitter who is 6–2 and 175 pounds and is ranked the Padres’ №28 prospect, finished 17-for-64 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, seven RBIs and five runs scored for a .246/.325/.391/.716 slash line.
Infielder Kelvin Melean, 23, continues to play for La Guaira in the Venezuelan winter league. He is hitting .300 (18-for-60) with two doubles, a home run, 10 RBIs and seven runs scored. He has a .328 on-base percentage and a .383 slugging percentage for a .711 OPS.,
Three Padres’ minor league prospects continue to play in the Dominican Republic winter league.
Outfielder Luis Liberato is hitting .295 (23-for-78) with three doubles, 10 walks, seven RBIs and 11 runs scored for a .389 on-base percentage and a .333 slugging percentage for a .722 OPS in his sixth season for Escogido.
Infielder-outfielder Esteury Ruiz has a .163-.196-.209-.405 slash line with the Toros del Este. He has gone 7-for-43 with two doubles, five stolen bases, a RBI and six runs scored.
Outfielder Nomar Mazara is still 7-for-22 with a double and two home runs for two RBIs and two runs scored for Licey with a .318-.400-.636–1.036 slash line.
