Pittsburgh Review

Luis Ortiz returned to San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic to support his grieving mother, Damaris, after the loss of her mother. During this period, Ortiz was also experiencing significant changes in his life but prioritized his family.

Damaris had one request for her son: "Can you please play baseball for one more week?" Ortiz had recently abandoned his dream of pitching in the Major Leagues after being released by several teams. At 19 years old, he agreed to give it another try.

Shortly thereafter, Ortiz was discovered and signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving his career a new direction. "When I signed, I promised I was not going to let her down," Ortiz said through Pirates interpreter and coach Stephen Morales. "I was going to do whatever possible to put her in a good spot."

Ortiz has since progressed rapidly within professional baseball. He moved from Single-A Bradenton at the end of the 2021 season to pitching at Yankee Stadium in September 2022. Now 25 years old, Ortiz is recognized as one of the team's most promising young pitchers.

Ortiz credits his mother for encouraging him to pursue his dream despite financial hardships that forced him to quit baseball at age 15 and work in construction and orange picking. "There was no money [in baseball]," Ortiz said. "The money situation in my family was pretty bad."

Damaris took on multiple jobs to support her son's ambitions when he moved back with her two years later. "She was doing everything in her power to get me that little bit of money to get me back to baseball," Ortiz recalled.

After signing with the Giants and struggling initially as a pitcher, Ortiz faced setbacks with various Dominican Academies and other teams before joining the Brewers briefly. His determination wavered until he joined the Pirates in October 2018.

With increased motivation and patience from the Pirates organization, Ortiz developed greater fastball velocity and refined his skills with both four-seam and two-seam fastballs. "All those other experiences with the other teams helped me grow a lot," he noted.

Today, Damaris and Luis Antonio, Ortiz's father, watch every game he pitches and remain supportive through texts after each start. As part of the regular rotation for most of this season, Ortiz acknowledges their crucial role: "My family has been a huge part of my career," he said.

Reflecting on negative influences encountered along his journey, Ortiz expressed gratitude for his family's unwavering support: "It has been a tough road, but I’m really grateful that my family is still here for me."