Grizzlies Sign Julio Ortiz, Otto Jones, Abe Valdez for 2026
Published on April 21, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - With the official start of Spring Training just days away, the Gateway Grizzlies announce that they have signed right-handed pitcher Julio Ortiz along with catchers Otto Jones and Abe Valdez, continuing to round out their roster.
Ortiz joins the club after three seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Flashing a high-octane fastball in the mid- to high-90s, he struck out 69 batters in just 39 2/3 innings while allowing only 34 total hits across 28 appearances in 2025 at class A-Advanced Vancouver. He also displayed the "strikeout stuff" in 2024 between Single-A Dunedin and the Florida Complex League, fanning 60 in 38 1/3 innings against just 18 hits allowed, posting a 5.17 ERA in his 28 games that season.
Originally from San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Ortiz initially signed to play professionally at age 18 with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019. Now 25 years old, he owns a 14.6 strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate for his career, with 144 punchouts against only 58 hits allowed in 89 total innings.
Hailing from Arvada, Colorado, Jones joins up with the Grizzlies after playing in the Pioneer League with the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers and Rocky Mountain Vibes in 2025, batting .244 with seven doubles and 11 RBIs in 33 games.
He began his pro career in 2024 in the Pecos League with the Bakersfield Train Robbers, hitting .296 in eight games as a rookie. Jones played collegiately at Division II Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where he sported a .273 career batting average across 94 games over five years.
Valdez signs with Gateway out of San Diego, California. He also saw action in the Pioneer League with the Billings Mustangs in 2024, batting .268 with 12 doubles, four home runs, and 36 RBIs in 52 games that summer. He played collegiately at BYU for three years after beginning at Southwestern College in his home state, where he notably hit .354 as a sophomore in 2018.
Be sure to follow along on GatewayGrizzlies.com or on the Grizzlies' social media accounts for updates throughout the offseason as they prepare for 2026!
Frontier League Stories from April 21, 2026
- Wild Things Make Two Selections in 2026 Frontier League Draft - Washington Wild Things
- Ottawa Titans Announce 2026 Frontier League Draft Picks - Ottawa Titans
- Bird Dawgs Add MiLB Experience, NC State Arm with Rushford, Fanning - Down East Bird Dawgs
- Wild Things Acquire Infielder Ben Rosengard to Complete 2025 July Trade, Sign Rosengard - Washington Wild Things
- Grizzlies Sign Julio Ortiz, Otto Jones, Abe Valdez for 2026 - Gateway Grizzlies
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