Grizzlies Sign Julio Ortiz, Otto Jones, Abe Valdez for 2026

Gateway adds pitcher, pair of catchers in lead up to Spring Training 

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!

The Gateway Grizzlies are a professional baseball team, located a mere 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Sauget, Illinois. The Grizzlies offer baseball fans affordable, family fun at Arsenal BG Ballpark with a great view of the St. Louis skyline. They have also won two Frontier League Organization of the Year Awards, four West Division titles, and the 2003 Frontier League Championship. For tickets or general information, please visit gatewaygrizzlies.com or call (618) 337-3000.

The Frontier League debuted in 1993, and is the largest of the Major League Baseball Partner Leagues, featuring teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. More information and the complete 2026 schedule can be found at frontierleague.com.