The 2022 Chicago Cubs were loaded with journeymen, players on the wrong side of, or nearing, 30 who never before got a real chance at regular Major League playing time.
Several players blossomed: P.J. Higgins, and Mark Leiter Jr. notably. Others wilted when faced with more talented opposition: Esteban Quiroz and Alec Mills. Rafael Ortega fell squarely in the middle of that pack, merely a replacement player.
The Cubs signed him as free agent prior to the 2021 season, the sixth such time he had signed such a free agent deal in as many seasons, he wasn't yet 30.
Despite that, Ortega impressed mightily that year, slashing .291/.360/.463 and playing solid defense in center field across 103 games. The Cubs thought they may have found a diamond in the rough.
2022 proved that to be untrue. Ortega was not bad, perhaps more deserving of playing time than he had been offered in his career, but a .688 OPS with below-average defense simply won't cut it at the Major League level.
For a time though, it did seem as if Ortega had found his footing. As late as Jun. 28 he was slashing .270/.361/.402, all while manning center field confidently at Wrigley, but after that day something changed.
For the rest of the season, one that ended prematurely on Sept. 13 with a right ring finger fracture, he slashed .204/.293/.303. Ortega's .230 BABIP might indicate he was suffering from a modicum of bad luck, and his 10.8% walk-rate over the period corroborates that.
Nevertheless, good players rarely have an OPS of .596 for long even when luck is at play, and Ortega is simply not a great hitter. Though he's adept at working the count and avoiding swings and misses, his xBA and xSLG of .241 and .346 tell a fairly complete story.
If you need a player to wait at the bottom of the lineup and man center field competently, Ortega is your man. If the Cubs want any kind of real production, Jed Hoyer is best served looking elsewhere.
Final Grade: C
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