Given all the chatter around the San Diego Padres' need for cheap, cost-controlled talent one would think that a 25-year-old in Triple-A who posted a 104 wRC+ in 2025 and hit .297/.367/.497 with 23 home runs in 2024 would be garnering a lot more hype.
Alas, Tirso Ornelas has never quite been considered a top prospect since originally signing with the Friars out of Mexico in 2016. He finally received his long-awaited MLB debut last year, though he managed all of one hit while stepping up to the plate just 16 times for Mike Shildt's squad.
A lingering plantar fasciitis issue kept him out for a chunk of the season, and he spent the rest of his time in Triple-A El Paso.