Pitcher Luis Ortiz grew up with his parents in Los Jardine del Norte, near Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena.
On December 10, 2024, Luis Ortiz, Michael Kennedy, and Josh Hartle were traded to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Spencer Horowitz.
Highlights
- The Pittsburgh Pirates gave up Luis Ortiz to sign Spencer Horwitz for their team.
- Luis Ortiz was born to his father, Luis Antonio, and his mother, Damaris.
- His parents used to watch Luis’s every match and texted him after the match.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled their first major offseason trade Tuesday night by sending right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz and a pair of lefty prospects to the Cleveland Guardians for first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
In the statement, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said,
“Spencer has been a consistently strong offensive performer throughout his pro career, including his first extended major league experience this season,” “As a left-handed hitting first baseman with on-base skill, we believe he’s a strong fit for our lineup and team.”
Ben Cherington
To acquire Horwitz, the Pirates gave up Ortiz, who made a dazzling debut against the Cincinnati Reds in September 2022 by averaging 99mph on 53 fastballs and touching triple digits six times.
Ortiz was 12-13 with a 3.93 ERA in 59 appearances, including 34 starts, in three seasons with the Pirates.
Luis started last season in the bullpen but finished it in the starting rotation.
He was 4-4 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 86 2/3 innings over 15 starts, including a one-hitter over six shutout innings in a 3-0 win over the Guardians.
In addition to Ortiz, the Pirates included a pair of pitchers ranked their NOs. 15 and 17 prospects, respectively, by MLB Pipeline in lefties Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle.
Luis Ortiz’s Parents Watched Every Match He Played And Texted Him Afterwards
Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher Luis Leandro Ortiz, 25, was born on January 27, 1999, in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, to his mother, Damaris, and his father, Luis Antonio.
Earlier in 2018, Luis headed home to San Pedro de Macrois in the Dominican Republic to comfort his grieving mother, who was mourning the loss of her mother.
Luis’s life was going through a seismic change around that time, too, but that was secondary to being there for his family.
Damaris was worried about Luis, though. Crying, she made one request,
“Can you please play baseball for one more week?”
Damaris
Ortiz gave up on his dream of pitching in the Major Leagues shortly before his grandmother passed away and was frustrated after being let go by several teams.
However, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he promised not to let her mother down.
Luis owed his mother for giving him a second chance to follow his dream. He wouldn’t have had that first chance with her, either.
Damaris wanted him to pursue his dream, though, and after Ortiz moved in with her about two years later, she took jobs in a factory and housekeeping.
She did everything she could to get her son Luis that little money to get him back to baseball.
Damaris and her husband, Luis Antonio, used to watch every start of the game he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and text him after the match.
On May 28, 2023, Luis wished Damaris a happy Mother’s Day through his official Instagram handle. He wrote,
Happy Mother’s Day my Queen, this seems to you and much more, you don’t know how much I love you, thank you for bringing me into this world, I love you, my black, happy Mother’s Day
Luis Ortiz
Although Luis was born and grew up in the Dominican Republic, his ancestors were originally from Africa.
Therefore, Luis and his family are Dominican nationals and African-Dominican ethnics. They celebrate and follow African and Dominican festivals and cultures.
Currently, Ortiz lives with his nurse wife, Altagracia Reynoso. They have four children: Emily, Marian, Diamond, and Shania.
Additional Information
- Ortiz was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic on October 2, 2018, for a $25,000 signing bonus.
- On July 15 and August 9, 2022, while pitching for the Double-A Altoona curve, Ortiz threw two immaculate innings in just 25 days, four fewer than the shortest known span between such innings by a Major League pitcher.
- He was optioned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians to begin the 2023 season.
