Jonathan Ornelas #21

Jonathan Ornelas...batted .464 with six home runs and 31 RBIs in 29 games as a senior at Raymond S. Kellis High School in Glendale, Ariz…Also appeared in 10 games as a pitcher, totaled 22 extra-base hits and scored 44 runs… Was selected 5A co-Player of the Year by the Arizona Baseball Coaches Association and played for a Kellis squad that won the 5A state title in 2017…Was ranked as the 2nd-best infield prospect in Arizona by Baseball America and had committed to play collegiately at the University of Tennessee…Ornelas is one of several Texas minor leaguers enrolled in the club’s ‘RangersU Powered by ACU’ program, which allows players and coaches to earn academic credit by taking online courses taught by Abilene Christian University faculty and staff in both English and Spanish…Spoke at press conference announcing the official launch of program on Jan. 27, 2023, at Globe Life Field.

2023

 Made his Major League debut across three stints in the big leagues with Texas (8/7-13, 9/9-17, 10/2-end of season), going 1-for-7 (.143) with two runs over eight games/two starts…Was recalled from Round Rock (AAA) on 8/7 and scored the tying run as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning of an eventual 5-3 Rangers win at Oakland…Made his first MLB start on 9/12 at TOR (3B)…Collected a single off Eli Morgan in the 9th frame of Texas’ 12-3 defeat on 9/15 at CLE after entering as a def. replacement (SS) in the seventh inning...Spent majority of the season at Round Rock (AAA), batting .254/.368/.359/.728 (110-434) with eight HR, 18 2B, 52 RBIs and 15 SB over 114 G worked career-high 74 walks, and increased his walk rate from 7.8% (2022) to career-best 14.3% (2023)…Slashed .242/.356/.348/.705 (59-244) over first 63 G and .268/.383/.374/.757 (51-190) over final 51 G (beg. 7/2) for the Express, his first career Triple-A action…Made team-high 84 starts at shortstop with Round Rock, but also saw starts at 2B (15), CF (11) and 3B (4)…Entered season rated among the top prospects in club's system by MLB Pipeline (14th), FanGraphs (19th) and Baseball Prospectus (19th).

2022

Was named a Texas Organization All-Star by MiLB.com after he batted .299 (157-525) with career-high 14 home runs, 64 RBI and 14 stolen bases over 123 games with Double-A Frisco...his 157 hits led the Texas League by a wide margin (next: 141) and tied the Frisco franchise record for a single season, matching Joaquin Arias in 2005...closed the year by batting .355/.424/.434/.858 (27-76) with one HR and 13 RBI over 17 G in September, including 8-for-19 (.421) in 4 postseason contests during the RoughRiders’ Texas League Championship run…went 7-for-10 (.700) in the Texas League Championship Series against Wichita…was recognized as the organization’s Defender of the Year after he made 123 starts at SS (86), 3B (29), 2B (4) and CF (4)...led all TL players with 236 assists and posted a .973 fielding pct. (10 E/367 TC) at his primary position of shortstop...was named organization’s Defender of the Month for both July and August…attended a player development seminar for a select group of top Texas prospects at Globe Life Field in January.

2021

Batted .261 (98-376) with eight HR and 38 RBI across 94 G with Hickory (A+)…ranked among High-A East leaders in runs (4th, 71) and hits (T9th, 98)…slashed .309/.356/.469/.825 (60-for-194) with 19 XBH (11 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR) over season’s last 49G (beg. 7/1).

2020

Did not see official game action after Minor League season was canceled due to pandemic…participated in the Fall Developmental League, going 16-for-73 (.219) with two HR and four RBI.

2019

Named a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star after entering year as ninth-youngest player on circuit…led Hickory (A) in hits and doubles (tied w/ Curtis Terry)...made 105 starts at SS (60 GS), 2B (32 GS), LF (9 GS) and 3B (4 GS)…posted an above-average 108 wRC+ according to Fangraphs...entered the season as Texas’ 15th-best prospect according to Baseball America.

2018

Named the 10th-best prospect in the Arizona League by Baseball America in his professional debut...ranked among the AZL leaders in stolen bases (4th, 15), triples(T5th, 4), total bases (8th, 79) and OPS (11th, .848)…reached safely via hit or walk in 39 of 48 games played.