Biography
Joseph Anthony Ortiz (born July 14, 1998) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023 for the Baltimore Orioles.
Amateur career
Ortiz attended Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California, where he played baseball and hit .417 with six triples as a senior in 2016. He went unselected in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft and enrolled at New Mexico State University to play college baseball for the New Mexico State Aggies.
As a freshman at New Mexico State in 2017, Ortiz played in 55 games and hit .306 with 14 extra-base hits and 35 RBIs. For the 2018 season, he played sixty games and batted .289 with seven home runs, 54 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases. That summer, he played for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League. As a junior in 2019, Ortiz played in 55 games and batted .422 with eight home runs, 84 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 25 doubles and was one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award.
Professional career
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles selected Ortiz in the fourth round with the 108th overall selection in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. Ortiz signed with the Orioles and made his professional debut with the Aberdeen IronBirds, batting .241 with one home run and 17 RBIs over 56 games. He did not play a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He started the 2021 season with Aberdeen and was promoted to the Bowie Baysox during the season, but played in only 35 games between both teams due to a shoulder injury. Over those 35 games, he hit .265 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He returned to Bowie to begin the 2022 season. In late August, he was promoted to the Norfolk Tides. Over 137 games between both teams, he slashed .284/.349/.477 with 19 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 35 doubles.
On November 15, 2022, the Orioles selected Ortiz's contract and added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to begin the 2023 season. He played in 16 games, hitting .359/.389/.500 with no home runs and 8 RBI.
On April 27, 2023, Ortiz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. In 15 games during his rookie campaign, Ortiz batted .212/.206/.242 with no home runs and 4 RBI. Ortiz was shuffled between the major leagues and minor leagues three times in 2023, and spent the final three months of the season with Norfolk in Triple-A.
Milwaukee Brewers
On February 1, 2024, the Orioles traded Ortiz and DL Hall to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Corbin Burnes. Ortiz was included in multiple trade offers throughout the offseason, as the Orioles had a surplus of talent in their infield. On March 25, Ortiz was informed that he made the major league roster for the Brewers out of spring training. He started at second base on Opening Day, but quickly found himself in a timeshare at third base with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn. Ortiz was effectively handed the starting role when Dunn was optioned to the minor leagues on May 15. Ortiz was named NL Rookie of the Month in May.
Ortiz became the Brewers' starting shortstop in 2025, after Willy Adames joined the San Francisco Giants.