One of the Rangers’ backup backups
With the 2024 regular season over, it is time for us to go back and take a look at the players who appeared for the Texas Rangers this season.
Today, we look at infielder Jonathan Ornelas.
If you can run a little bit and play a number of positions competently, your chances of having…I was going to say a major league career, but that’s overstating things, I think. Some time in the major leagues, shall we say, instead. Anyway, your chances of getting some major league time are going to be greater than what might be expected given your overall performance level.
Teams always need someone who can be available on the end of the bench. Someone who can pinch run late in a game, who can play the last couple of innings of a blowout to get a veteran some rest, who can fill in in case someone gets hurt mid-game. Someone who you can use when need be but who you don’t feel a burning need to give playing time to.
Having someone on the 40 man roster who is optionable and can fill that role provides a team with some security, some depth, over the course of the season. Being able to summon a player if and when needed, when someone is going on the injured list, or is even just going to be unavailable for a couple of days, someone who gives you coverage and versatility in case of emergency, is going to have some value over the course of a season.
Which is the role Jonathan Ornelas filled in 2024 for the Rangers. Stashed in Round Rock, playing mostly shortstop but also getting reps elsewhere in the infield, as well as the outfield, since his value to the major league team is largely tied to his ability to handle a number of positions. Being brought up to the bigs when needs must, but only as a temporary exigency, to be sent back down when things get closer to normal.
Ornelas had three stints in the majors in 2024 — a brief appearance in early May, roughly a month in July, and then the final month of the season, after rosters expanded. He didn’t play much, getting 40 plate appearances over 18 games, and he didn’t hit much when he did play, slashing .216/.256/.270.
Interestingly, Ornelas played for Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League this past offseason. He had the same number of at bats for Mexicali as he did in the big leagues for Texas in 2024 — 37 — and hit .216 while slugging .270 for both, going 8 for 37 with two doubles for both the Rangers and Mexicali. He also struck out 13 times for each time. He had one more plate appearance for Mexicali than the Rangers, and walked one more time. Weird, huh?
Ornelas did not hit well for Round Rock in 2024, slashing .251/.322/.326 in 88 games. It was a significant drop off from 2023, when he slashed .254/.368/.359 in 114 games at AAA, and 2023 was a significant drop off from 2022, when he slashed .299/.360/.425 for Frisco in what was his best season as a pro.
Ornelas was part of the Rangers’ 2018 draft class, the last draft class before the organization overhauled the way they were doing their scouting and development. The first four players drafted by the Rangers that year were Cole Winn, Owen White, Ornelas, and Mason Englert. All four have made the majors, though two of the four have been DFA’d, and Ornelas has the highest career bWAR of the group, at 0.0.
Ornelas is still relatively young — he doesn’t turn 25 until May — and so his fate isn’t cast in stone just yet. However, it looks like he is going to be one of those guys who, once he is out of options (and he is on his final option year in 2025), bounces from team to team throughout his career, getting an NRI each spring from some club with the expectation that he’ll be at their AAA club, with the possibility of being called up in case of emergency.
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